Iron Legends: Reforged
by neenwrites
Summary: The old lab had always been fuel for a good story, something you would half-heartedly joke about going to sometime. The legends circulated, telling of monsters and anything else someone would be likely to conjure up about an abandoned building. But even with all the stories meant to keep everyone away, there are still those for whom the intrigue is too tempting.(REMASTERED)
1. Chapter 1

A/N 6/13/16: Hey everyone! So you might be wondering why I'm reposting this and why the title changed. So I have wanted for a long while to go through and remaster this whole fic because I love the story so much, and I finally started tonight! The story itself will not be changing with regards to plot, but I really just want to edit it, flesh it out, and make it better. I will be reuploading the chapters as I work through them. "Reforged" was amaranth121's idea, and was more than perfect to rename the remodeled fic. I'm also hoping this will give me fuel and motivation again to keep working on my other stories, which I promise I haven't forgotten! Again, this is the SAME as the other Iron Legends, but will be heavily edited. Thanks for bearing with me, all!

* * *

"Levy, what are we going to do if we get caught?" The blond whined to the unrelenting blunette in front of her.

"But just imagine what kind of stuff we would find in there? I bet there are loads of text books and notebooks left behind." The girl in front, sporting wild blue waves, replied.

"Calm down, Lucy. Stop being such a wet blanket. Rebel every once in a while. It feels good." The pink-haired boy flashed a smile at the frightened blond, mirroring the confidence of the girl in front.

"Shut up, Natsu. Rebelling is staying out past curfew, not going to ax-murder-town." Lucy retorted with a glare, earning a giggle from Levy. "At night. Why are we going at night?"

"For authenticity." Natsu replied with a snicker. "It's almost Halloween." He held the flashlight under his face for effect and cackled before Lucy punched him in the arm. "OW!"

All three appeared to be around eighteen, walking in a line with Levy in front bearing the brighter flashlight, Lucy sheltered behind her, and Natsu bringing up the rear.

"The lab's been abandoned for years. No one even knows it's here anymore. No cops or anyone is going to be out here this late." Levy added. "It'll be fine, we'll be in and out in no time. I just want to look." Lucy let out a dramatic groan in response.

Levy saw little reason to keep talking, and trudged onwards through the dense forestry, her excitement spurring her forward. The decision had been made to come out here a few days ago, when Levy's ambition to visit the abandoned lab was ignited after flipping through some urban legend books during a slow shift at work, and was surprised to see Magnolia had made the list. Curiosity stoked, Levy asked around a little, getting little information but just enough to leave her hungering for more. Mostly word of mouth and what she could find from the urban legend texts. They spoke of breakthrough experiments and hush-hush science that was _definitely_ not FDA approved that went down in that building, and she wanted a look around. The texts that could have been left behind were beyond tantalizing for the bookworm. Because what else would be there other than ruins and old books?

The three had been walking for at least an hour, before they finally came to the old, twisted and vine-covered chain-link fence. Rusted 'No trespassing' signs hung along periodically, and while those would have deterred Lucy without protest, Levy enlisted Natsu to help her find a decent spot to get through in one piece. Finally, they found a part of the fence that, curiously enough, looked like it had been run over repeatedly and flattened into the ground.

They stared a moment, before Levy was the first to move and make her way towards the massive, two-story building. "They say it was abandoned after an experiment went wrong and funding was cut after the authorities discovered how much red tape they bypassed. They just left the place with everything inside. Didn't have the money to salvage or support anything." Levy explained.

"And who is 'they?' How do we know we aren't going to find something else in there? Or at the least something that could get us in trouble for knowing?" Lucy prompted, still trying to find some way out of it even though they were making their way across the facility's yard at this point.

"It's all rumor, Lucy. I couldn't find anything too concrete. We might not find anything at all," Levy responded.

The front doors were smashed off their hinges, discarded by the entrance and dented beyond recognition. They stared at the destroyed doors, before moving onwards inside into the dirty, dank room. Levy mulled over her last words for a moment, but urged herself onwards. She had made herself the initiator here and she couldn't back down from that now.

Levy moved her flashlight to catch every detail, walking eagerly through what appeared to be the lobby and looking at what machinery was left. "Woah…" She mumbled, moving more tentatively as her companions fell silent behind her, observing. She wanted to head upstairs, but doubted it possible or safe because of the damaged staircases. But after a while, she was surprised to find another staircase leading down, beyond a destroyed door. Levy looked back at the others, before she headed for them.

"Levy…those stairs don't look good at all," Natsu cautioned.

"They're fine," she assured, proceeding. They creaked in protest, but the stairs held her as she and the others moved down. It was like a whole other facility opened up downstairs, full with all sorts of equipment, separate rooms, and large glass holding tubes.

The others followed close behind, tense. The shadows danced as they walked through, and there was more than enough space for things to hide in a space like this.

All three jumped when they heard a sudden sound, like something being dropped to the ground. Their flashlights went in every direction to find something, with Lucy whimpering in fear. Thankfully, their lights only saw rats.

"It's nothing," Levy assured with a little shake in her tone. She started to head deeper into the room, to the holding tubes. They were large enough to hold a person…or even something bigger. Some were empty, some filled halfway with a strange cloudy liquid, and some smashed open. _Something definitely went on in here…_ She thought, moving on towards what looked like cages: small, large, and massive. _What was held in here…?_ Levy mused to herself, looking at the machines and shelves. Syringes, jars, and a million other things that just looked weaponized, and straight out of a movie.

She peered into one of the smaller cages, while the larger cages were bolted to the floor. Levy gently reached up and pulled open the creaking door to the kennel and shined her light inside. She frowned deeply at the sight of old, caked grime, and some stains inside the kennel she didn't want to identify. She wanted to blame age, but the pervading, foul smell through the building hinted otherwise.

The girl shook her head, ruffling blue curls, before hearing a guttural noise from Natsu. She turned around to look at him and the profound, pallid fear in his face. "Oh come on, not you too Natsu," She tried to tease. Levy was now trying very hard to put up a front, and had been since they descended the stairs. She had been so adamant on them coming that she couldn't bear the inevitable teasing if she were to admit that she was now, definitely, afraid.

But as she moved her light to him, the fear turned out to be horror, and all color had left his face. His eyes were wide and staring just past her, mouth open. Lucy was in the same state, before lifting a shaky finger to point behind her.

Levy tilted her head and tried to inquire, "What's wrong with yo—"

 _"Grrrrrgh…."_

The blue-haired girl was cut off by what sounded like an animal, snarling too close for comfort. She felt the hairs on her neck stand up, and swore she could feel hot breath fanning down upon her. Slowly, she turned in the direction she was facing moments before, and lifted her flashlight.

 _Metal?_ All she saw was what looked like it could have been iron machinery, _Was that there before?_ She narrowed her eyes in confusion, lifting the beam until it shone on what seemed like a face in the metal, partially hidden behind other machinery. Red eyes glowed frighteningly in the dark, staring right at her and her friends. Levy felt her breath leave her in a gasp and she dropped her light. The second it hit the ground, the …thing roared in rage and threw cages everywhere. From that moment, everything seemed to happen at once and it all became a blur.

Cries of terror erupted from the group as they ran. The creature, a massive, metallic figure, took off after them in a rage, crashing through machinery and sending bottles and debris scattering. They scrambled up the damaged stairs as the monster chased after, bashing into the walls and creating the distinct sound of metal on metal. It was cacophonous chaos punctuated with the roars of a terrible beast.

They raced down the hall, fueled by the monster on their heels. Even once in the woods, they did not stop. They wouldn't dare even look back or slow down as branches and shrubs whipped mercilessly against them. Their legs took them until they heard growls no more, and finally saw city lights. The relief of familiarity hit them hard with the orange-lit street, lined by the safety of the neighborhood's homes. They took a moment to breathe, collapsing into the grass and clutching their heaving chests. Lucy lifted her pale, sweat-glistened face to say something to Natsu and Levy, but her words died before they ever reached her lips.

Only then did they realize they were one short.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's the next edited chapter everyone! I couldn't believe how clunky my writing was, I'm very happy to be cleaning these up and plumping them a little(almost 2 pages of plumping in this chapter!) Again, this is the same as the original Iron Legends, I am going through and editing all the chapters. Nothing will be changing with regards to overall plot.(I will be adding this note to all future chapters to avoid confusion).

* * *

Levy groaned, feeling as though she had been hit by a truck, slowly opening her eyes with another whimper. "Ugh…what…" she mumbled while trying to blink away the pain, and reached up to touch her hairline. Something warm stuck to her fingers, and not quite understanding what it was, she rubbed it between her fingertips. Levy wanted to bring it in front of her to see better, but only then did she register a weight on her abdomen. With a groan, she pushed one of the kennels off with a loud clatter and rolled onto her side with another groan. Everything was spinning; or at least, the one ray of light from her flashlight looked like it was swirling.

It took what felt like forever in the dark silence to learn how to move again. Looking around the dark room, she saw her flashlight again in the middle of the floor, and remembered where she was. Immediately she went cold, and panic surged in her gut first, followed by dread. It was quiet. She was here alone. Which, on one hand meant that her friends were missing, but on the other it meant she didn't currently know where that _thing_ was.

The girl crawled towards her flashlight, trying to move as silently as possible. A task that was make all the more difficult by her spasming muscles. With an iron grip, she picked up her flashlight and pointed it around her. Nothing but debris. As Levy moved the beam around the room, she saw it in a much worse state than before. Cages ripped out of the floor, kennels scattered, and broken equipment. She swallowed hard, realizing now that she _needed_ to get out of here. Now.

Which may have been a realization a little too late. Because it was then that she heard something coming down the stairs. Something very large, and very heavy. Levy took in a sharp breath turned in the opposite direction of the sound, looking painfully for a way out. Her light met nothing but walls lined with cages, and the feeling of being trapped suddenly made it very hard to breathe. With the sound of footsteps getting louder, she ran out of options. Levy quickly cupped her hand over the light, and tried to stifle her heavy breathing.

The blue haired girl's muscles locked and her breathe became haggard gasps. As the creature entered the room, and in the soft light seeping from her fingertips she could barely see it– _him_ look around with a fanged snarl. He knew she was here; she could sense it.

He walked to the middle of the room slowly, like a predator closing in on the wounded animal he _knew_ was near. But to her intrigue and more prominently relief, he stopped in the middle of the room, where she was moments ago. The bulky creature bent down and touched the red liquid with his finger, and examined it after with a distracted huff. The sight of it seemed to surprise him, enough to pull his attention from the hunt he initially planned to pursue.

Levy watched, taking in the details she could in the dark after her eyes adjusted. He was at definitely over six feet tall, significantly muscular. There was also the pretty glaring fact light glinted off of him like he was made of metal, but… that couldn't be possible, right? Even in the limited light, she could make out the ridges of dark scales all over his body. What looked like a large, spiky mane extended down his back, and hung partially in his face; the dark color of it almost made it look like he was melting into the darkness around him. He wore little more than some tattered, brown shorts that were probably once pants and a large brown jacket.

Levy felt a sudden wave of pain and whimpered inadvertently before she slapped a hand over her mouth; too little, too late. A snarl cut through the air, punctuating the beast's swift whirl to face her head-on. Those eyes were a radiant red, glowing in the dark and fiery with rage.

A deep, primal fear backed her against the wall while her hand dropped defeatedly from the front of the flashlight, realizing her fatal mistake and the fact she had nowhere to go. There was no exit, she couldn't see, and the pain in her head kept her thoughts swirling. Her chest heaved with quick, heavy breaths and blood trickled down the side of her face from small gash at her hairline.

The girl could only watch in cold horror as the angry creature stalked towards her, effortlessly pushing away cages and debris like they were toys to him. He stopped directly in front of her, arms held to the side in tight fists. She couldn't move, paralyzed with fear as the flashlight shook in her hands. He absolutely dwarfed her in every respect, and she had to crane her neck painfully to make eye contact. As much as she didn't want to look into those smoldering coals.

He stood still a moment before he puffed his chest and growled, " _Get ouuuut."_ Each word was emphasized and drawn out, rumbling deep in his chest with as intimidating a baritone as he could muster. But Levy was rooted, absolutely astonished by the fact that that he, whatever he was, _could speak._ But her lack of compliance brought another growl ripping violently from his throat as he lurched forward and slammed a fist into the wall above her, "NOW!" he bellowed.

The second his fist hit, something in her snapped and she scrambled to her feet and bolted, clutching her light like a lifeline. The beast roared behind her and gave chase, herding her along the walls and barely slowed by anything in his way. The noise was nigh unbearable, and it overpowered her senses. Levy had thought that weaving through all the junk would help her, but she could hear him slam through all of it and his heavy footfalls gain on her. Tears burned at her eyes started to stream down her face as her desperation welled to the surface.

She was running out of places to go, and in the wake of her fear she looked over her shoulder to see how close he was. At that moment, her foot caught and she tripped and fell hard to the cold floor, sliding until she hit something else. Levy groaned, pushing herself up and looking around with her flashlight until she comprehended where she was. To her horror, she had slid right into one of those huge cages that were rooted to the floor. Foreboding bars surrounded her, and the one exit she had just became null. She now had nowhere to go, and could do nothing but helplessly watch as he blocked her exit. _This is it. This is how I disappear._ Levy pushed herself as far back against the wall as she could, shaking like a leaf and waiting for the end.

He stopped and a snarl contorted his face, glowing red eyes staring inside. There was a moment of silence, before a noise of frustration escaped him. _This wasn't supposed to happen, stupid girl cornered herself… the hell am I supposed to do now?_ he thought, narrowing his eyes at the problem that had manifested before him.

"I-I didn't mean to—" she was cut off by a harsh growl as he dropped forward, crouching down to put his face uncomfortably close to hers. Close enough for her to feel the heat of his huffs on her face. She swallowed hard and leaned back a little more, wincing from another wave of pain in her skull, "Ow…" she muttered.

The iron beast's eyes wandered up to her forehead, oblivious to his disregard for personal space. It was hard to tell, but it looked like he furrowed his brow in disapproval. _Ah shit, now I've done it. They weren't supposed to get hurt._ He could barely remember where he had lost control of himself, and now he had hurt someone. Something had clicked in him, a part of him he had come to hate so much, and it made him careless. And it gave him a great big problem in tiny, insignificant package. He may as well have been begging for more attention.

The drawn out silence caused Levy to shift uncomfortably, her eyes moving longingly to the cage doorway behind him; the only exit she could make out in this room. When he let out a long sigh and leaned back, she looked back to him. The previous rage seething through his features had faded away, replaced by frustrated concentration.

"I-I'm sorry to bother you." Levy squeaked, immediately beating herself internally for saying something to outlandish. _What was that?! I didn't trespass on the neighbor's lawn. I found a MONSTER in an abandoned LABORATORY._

The male rolled back on his heels and cocked his head backwards, lifting his brows in what looked like surprise. He had expected more screaming, the "last ditch fighting for your life" routine, or at the very least the "sobbing resignation to death" spiel. But instead this pocket-sized creature had found the breath to _apologize_ for bothering him. He had rehearsed responses for all of the aforementioned reactions. He did his thing, threw some shit around, they ran screaming, he chased a little, and they never came back. And then they told scary stories that kept others from coming back. That's how it was supposed to go. But none of this was happening how it was supposed to. He had no words to respond to her.

Levy, meanwhile, had felt the palpable shift in the air, and appreciated the increase in personal space he had given her. She knew he could speak some, but show much was another question. Certainly enough that he seemed affected by her idiotic apology. He seemed like he could understand her, albeit was taken off guard by it. _I guess that makes sense, it's not like people are likely to talk to him much._ The thought actually brought a pang of pity that surprised her. He had her trapped, perfectly, but this fact had seemed to deter him rather than prove advantageous… and there had to be a reason for that.

This gave her the time to think about what this place actually was. There was a reason it was shut down and abandoned, and clearly there was a something that fueled all the urban legends swirling around this place. Having seen what it looked like inside, it was considerably more ominous than she had expected it to be. Couple that with what she had read and what people had told her about experiments gone wrong, her imagination was already cooking up a terrible story to fit the scene.

It put an awful feeling in her gut that went beyond the fact that she had some kind of metal creature staring her down. Something went on in this building… something that clearly involved him. " _They_ did something to you. Bad things, right? That's why you're here like this?" The words left her before she had realized that she was thinking out loud, and she slapped a quick hand over her mouth to stifle anything else that might slip out so carelessly.

To her surprise, he straightened up and maintained the glare on his face, but he seemed like he was trying to make a decision rather than express malcontent. After a moment, he looked to the side and nodded slowly, eyes narrowed. _Why tell her? Why answer at all?_

 _He_ can _understand me!_ she thought, eyes wide. Levy's thought revelation must have been all over her face, because a low, warning growl rumbled in the man's chest. She flinched, but somehow found the courage to lean forward, trying to look up at him. "Who are you?" She was met with silence again.

 _Who…_ The one word stuck out to him. Not 'what.' She had very specifically said 'who.' He hadn't referred to as anything other than 'it' for years.

He quickly caught himself on the road his thoughts were going down and shook his head sharply. Still balancing in a crouch, he crossed his arms and leaned forward onto the balls of his feet, reclaiming the uncomfortable closeness of before. Narrowed, red eyes scrutinized her for several moments. "That ain't _none_ of your business, shrimp." He snarled.

Levy blinked in shock, _absolutely beside herself_ that her tormentor, in this situation, at this time, made fun of her height. Of all things, he called her _small._ She would have understood it better if he had reached out and tried to throttle her; at least that would have been consistent with everything else. She could not help the instinctive puffing of her cheeks and expulsion of words from her mouth that flew out faster than she could stop them, "Excuse me?!"

In a manner that seemed to be becoming a theme for the night, she slapped her hand over her mouth. But he just stared, slack-jawed and brows raised halfway to his hairline.

As if the situation couldn't have gotten stranger, this, again, was the last thing he expected. He cracked a fanged smirk, amused, and opened his mouth to say something in retort… but he stopped himself again and snapped it shut.

The anticipation for a response was suffocating, but a sudden sting on her scalp made Levy wince, and she raised a hand to wipe at the tickling sensation on her face. She looked down at her hand, and mumbled a quiet "Oh." Her hand was covered in the fresh blood, and her attention was brought back to the sharp throbbing on her scalp.

His eyes followed hers to the red on her hand and frowned. He weighed his thoughts and slicked his teeth. There were only a few ways he could get out of this. If he died here, he was screwed. If he hurt her again, he was screwed. If he let her stay here too long, someone was bound to come for her and _he was screwed._ Finally, "Does…does that hurt…?" Levy's eyes shot up at the sound of his voice, rough but hushed, with a noticeably softer gaze focused on her. She couldn't quite read what was in his gaze, but it made her uneasy and relieved her a little at the same time.

Speaking in something other than a bellow felt strange for him, foreign even. And to be entirely honest he didn't know why he had asked her or engaged her in any way at all. He had no reason to. What he should have been doing was chasing her out of here, but she had proven how non-productive his normal ways were going to be. He had to improvise. That was the only reason.

Levy finally nodded slowly and pitifully, looking again to the doorway past him. She felt anxious to leave, or to at least not be backed up against the back wall of a cage anymore. The feeling of being trapped was becoming more and more suffocating as the time went on.

But then, the iron creature shifted his weight and stood straight slowly, trying not to startle her again. With movements equally as careful, he took a few steps back out of the opening of the cage and then to the side: a very clear message that he was letting her go.

The girl watched him warily, unsure at first, before slowly hauling herself to her feet and tentatively walking out of the cage with her eyes cautiously fixed on him. Her foot caught on something on the floor and she stumbled, but a strong, solid, and _cold_ hand caught her under the arm. She looked up to the man, and he abruptly released her as soon as she was steady on her feet again. In a an obvious refusal of further contact, he took a quick step back away from her, head lowered. He lifted a hand and pointed across the room, "It's that way." Short, gruff, and clearly urging her to not to test his mercy.

 _The exit, right._ Levy forced a small smile, "Thank you…" What else was she supposed to say? Not fifteen minutes ago she thought she was going to die, and now he was showing her the way out. A thank you was the very least she could offer.

Proceeding carefully though the dark with her light, and in the direction he indicated, she could eventually see the stairs across the room. Intense relief washed over her, distracting her just briefly from her headache. She paused and looked over her shoulder, seeing that he had been following her with arms crossed and gaze to the side. _Well, I don't blame him for making sure I actually leave,_ Levy thought. In the most basic of terms, she had certainly overstayed her welcome in what was evidently his home.

Coming to the base of the stairs, she exhaled in defeat at the state they were in. They were in far worse shape than before, courtesy of the violent encounter earlier. _This is going to be a lot harder to climb up._ Especially since they spinning and the light of her flashlight looked like it was slowly dying out… beginning at the corner of her vision.

"Ohhh…" She swayed, humming in confusion, as a rush of dizziness drowned her and she closed her eyes, falling backwards. Before the small woman could hit the ground, a solid grip caught her under her arms.

Red irises regarded her with a lack of patience and frustration, and just a hint of intrigue. _God damnit, how can someone this small be this much fucking trouble._ He just wanted to be rid of her. Best case scenario: she would get some kind of amnesia when she woke and forget all about this place. _Yeah, wouldn't that just be too good to be true,_ he thought.

He just wanted to be left alone, especially when he was in this state. He couldn't afford to be discovered; he had nowhere to go if he was. He was as good as dead if his existence made it into the papers. And equally out of luck if this girl didn't make it out of there in one piece.

 _Why would someone like you come here? Why would a tiny creature like you willingly come someplace so dangerous?_ Because that's what he was. Dangerous. His temper worked well enough to scare people like her friends out but if he didn't keep a handle on it then it was so easy, _so painfully easy_ to hurt people.

The man sighed, hoisting her up and slinging her carefully over his shoulder. He grumbled and voiced his protest to the air before making his way up the noisy steps to the floor above. Every step was heavy and lumbering, full of exasperation. On his way to the exit he glanced back at his cargo ever so often, just to make sure she was still breathing. A dead girl was the absolute _last_ thing he needed. A bleeding girl was bad enough.

Once outside, he noticed the sky was beginning to brighten with the approaching morning, casting hues of pinks and oranges and shining on his iron flesh. _Dawn already?_

He glanced to the hole in the perimeter fence, taking a moment to think about how he could make this situation better. An idea struck him, and he moved through the broken barrier. He set her down gently on her side at the base of a tree, all while making sure she was well enough in the open. The man reached up and gripped a low, dead branch and tore it down with a loud _crack._ He knelt down to her, making another check that she was still alive.

Trying not to think much of it, he reached to her face to try and wipe away some of her blood. But something stopped him, and he took the time to study her gentle face–which he could swear was glowing–in the warmer light. After all, this was the closest and longest he had been near another person in years.

Those blue curls and waves were so distracting that it was like he was seeing the color for the first time. He felt something unfamiliar stir in his chest, a small chill in his spine that he hadn't felt before. A hard, aggravated huff and a violent head shake dashed it away before it could manifest itself any more than It already had.

He swiped some crimson liquid from her face, smeared it on the branch, and dropped it by her head. All that was left was one final check that she was breathing as he leaned down close to put his cheek in front of her mouth. The soft, warm breath on his cheek made his eyes flutter, and he took in a deep breath. The tingle in his spine raced up to the back of his neck. _Lavender…_

" _Tch!"_ The man recoiled, practically stumbling to his feet, and all but ran back into his ruins to put as much space between he and the terrifying little creature as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: The next installment on the edited chapters! Just reminding everyone that I am _editing_ these chapters, not changing the overall story. Some will be edited more than others. Enjoy!

* * *

"This is all your fault, Mr. Rebel! We should have gone back right away, not waited this long for her! She could be dead by now!" Lucy cried out, berating the pink haired boy in front of her. Every sentence brought another flinch from him. She brought her hands to her face, her whole body tensing up for a moment, before she dropped her hands and looked as thought she was trying to grasp onto something… anything in front of her. "No, actually," Lucy turned on Natsu again, desperate fire in her eyes, "we shouldn't have done this in the first place."

"You didn't want to go back until sunup either!" Natsu shot back, trying to defend himself as he smacked a branch out of his way, "and it was your bright idea to not call anyone about it either."

An offended huff, half sputter, erupted from the blonde, "Did you want to make that call? 'Oh yeah we went and trespassed in this top secret building and found a monster and it might have killed our friend.' That would have gone over _so well_." The sarcasm was biting, enough to beat down Natsu's head a little further on his shoulders.

Sure, they had gotten into hairy things before(usually Natsu's idea), but this was the first time… really the first time they had gotten into something this serious. _I am too young to lose my best friend!_

Natsu finally mustered up the bravery to look back at his blonde companion, fists balled at her sides and puffy eyes staring down at the ground in front of her. A deep frown creased his features and he grabbed her small fists in his hands.

Lucy looked up finally to make eye contact and Natsu tried to give her a reassuring smile, but did a remarkably poor job of it. Still, Lucy released the tension in her fist and intertwined her fingers in his. The lopsided, awkward smile did manage to distract her for a second. He squeezed her hand gently, trying to impart some courage on her, before they pushed forward to follow the same path they took the night before.

Their pace and the daylight brought them back to the facility much faster this time. As the brush and threes started to clear, the threatening fence-line came into view. Just down the border, they saw her.

"Levy!" He shouted, no response. Natsu ran to her side and hovered over her, not sure where to put his hands. His eyes wandered to the bloody branch by her head and the sight of red shot tension into him.

"She must have been right behind us… she must have," Lucy choked out, leaning down next to Natsu, "Is she…" It came out barely as a whisper, and she shut her eyes tight, hiding from the answer.

"She's breathing." Natsu replied quickly to dash her building dread, and he reached out to gently shake the unconscious girl's shoulder. "Levy…!" He called to her, but nothing. Wrinkling his brow in determined concern, he moved then to scoop her up in his arms carefully.

"She's going to need stitches…" Lucy tried to keep her voice steady, but the crack in her tone as she bit back tears of relief was clear as day. For her sake, Natsu pretended not to notice and hummed in response.

"At least 'we were being stupid in the woods and she hit her head' is a better story…" he commented, and Lucy huffed a mirthless laugh.

* * *

 _Ugh….so bright…_ Honey-colored eyes blinked open, squinted painfully and closed again. "Nnnh…." she groaned and smacked her lips together, trying to wet them again. _A few more minutes. Just a few more._

"You're awake!"

The shrill, eager voice shattered what sleep she had left in her and instead stoked the flame of a throbbing headache.

"Levy, can you hear me?"

"Luce…" Levy croaked, her tongue dry, "I hear you." The girl licked her lips to try and wet them, pausing to try and gather the energy to speak again. In that pause, her wits started to return to her, and the understanding of where she was… rather, the lack of understanding caught up. Levy opened her eyes again suddenly and tried to sit up, "Where—"

"The hospital, don't worry you're okay." Lucy said quickly, handles gently pressing against her shoulders to ease her back down. "Hold on, don't hurt yourself. They said you hit your head pretty hard, but no concussion," the blonde explained. "Natsu would have stayed but he said he needed to go make a cover for us not coming home last night."

 _You talk so fast…_ Levy thought, but nodded in understanding. "Help me up. Slow," she asked, trying to slowly ease herself up. A supporting hand pushed her up the rest of the way, and Levy smiled gratefully to her friend.

She took a second to steady herself, before reaching up to touch the gash on her head. But instead, she found that it had been covered over by gauze and tape. "How long have I been here?"

"Only a few hours," Lucy answered. "You needed stitches, and the nurse said something about head wounds bleeding more than usual so you probably passed out after losing enough blood. They don't even think you needed pain meds aside from anything you can buy at the store, just rest. She said you could be discharged as soon as you were comfortable enough to walk," she explained.

Levy sighed in relief and nodded, but the elephant in the room was unmistakable. She was fully awake now and there was no real way for them to ignore what they had been through. With Levy's side on it now as well, it was even harder to ignore. But could Levy even say anything about it to Lucy? She was her best friend, she could tell her anything. But this… this was something else entirely. Her expectant glance from the corner of her eye must have cued Lucy off.

"Levy…did, all of that really happen? What was the last thing you remember before blacking out?" She asked quietly, glancing to the door. "We found you just outside the fence."

Levy lifted her eyes in surprise. _Outside?_ "I remember…" The image of red, glowing eyes flashed through her mind. _I remember seeing the stairs but that's it. How did I get outside?_ She knew, fuzzy as everything was, that the last thing she saw were the stairs. She couldn't say thing to Lucy about it; of that she was certain. "I remember following you and Natsu. Then I think…I think I hit something. It's fuzzy after that." Lie. It felt awful to lie to her.

"What do you think that _thing_ was, though?" She pressed, seeming to buy Levy's story. The fear, the derision was clear in her voice; and for some reason it bothered Levy to hear the man referred to as such.

"No idea," Levy answered. "It _is_ almost Halloween. Maybe it was just some guys playing a prank." She suggested, and Lucy shot her a skeptical look. "It's possible. You've met some of Natsu's friends," Levy tried to smile. That point in particular seemed to sell Lucy a little on the idea. "Whatever it was, I think it's better if we don't tell anyone about it. We technically shouldn't have been there in the first place…"

Lucy brought her hand up to her mouth, pinching her lip between her thumb and forefinger in thought. "Yeah," she conceded. Levy did have a point. Like she had told Natsu earlier, it's not like anyone would believe them or hear anything other than the fact they trespassed in a highly restricted area. "I'm perfectly fine never thinking about that place ever again!" Lucy declared, met with a 'shushing' motion from Levy.

"Careful," she cautioned. Lucy looked abashed, putting a hand over her mouth. "It's agreed then," Levy added finally, "And I really, _really_ want a shower. Get me out of here."

* * *

Levy spent the rest of the day splayed out on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her damp, wild waves created a halo on the comforter beneath her. A delicate finger twirled a lock absentmindedly, trying to add a tempo to her thoughts.

Her house was empty and quiet…like always. Only the muffled sound of birdsongs brought life into the place.

The house was small, simple, and easy to maintain. Her particular neighborhood was a bit outside of town, which brought the luxury of having more greenery in the form of old-growth trees that she often found herself reading under. The forests surrounding Magnolia edged up on her back yard, and quietly hugged the little neighborhood.

Between a part-time (turned full-time after graduation) bookstore job, and a modest inheritance, she could pay the bills comfortably. Truly her only _real_ expenses were books and something to decorate the place a little more here and there. It had helped that the house was left to her as… well, gift doesn't really seem to be the right word. It might be best to just say, 'left to her.' Left behind.

Many of her former classmates lived very close, Natsu and Lucy included. In fact she could walk quite easily to both of them and they all kind of fell on the same street.

Lucy had been begging her for the months leading up to and after graduation to move in with her, but Levy couldn't bring herself to leave the house behind. In a manner of speaking, she felt it was her responsibility to keep it. And Lucy knew she couldn't ask to move in; the extra bedroom was off limits.

Levy understood Lucy's motives, but the girl slept over so often and vice versa, that they may as well have been living together. Lucy had a drawer and a toothbrush here, even.

She tried again to close her eyes, trying to quiet her thoughts, but the same vision came to her and set her on edge. Levy had tried to sleep, to close her eyes and get the rest she knew she needed. But every time she closed her eyes, she could only see those red eyes. All she could think about was that creature…man. His face, filled with so much anger and the most intriguing touch of fear. Levy had a hard enough time figuring out why she was still alive, it gave her even more of a headache to try and figure out how she had gotten outside. The possibility that he had done it came to her mind, but it was too much of a stretch for her to entertain.

Eventually, her train of thought slowly moved in a different direction. Levy wanted to know what happened to him. Her curiosity burned like a vicious fire in her chest: _what made him like that and what happened in that lab_. Maybe if she had gotten a hold of any of the books or journals she had hoped to find there in the first place, she might have gleaned some kind of answer. Just like that, the original reason they went there came back up and she found herself just as painfully curious as before.

Levy frowned and rolled over to prop herself up on her elbows, looking now at the light filtering in through her window. Her brows knit, and she nibbled absentmindedly on her fingernail. _Should I…_ she started to think, before she glanced to the side at her phone, where a message from Lucy lit up the screen periodically. " _Let me know if you wake up early, I'll come over and make dinner! 3″_

Levy looked now to the clock on the nightstand. Four fifty. Some daylight left, but not a lot.

 _Am I…_

The blunette closed her eyes, gnawing anxiously on her fingernails still. _Okay but what if…_

A small, defeated groan escaped her. There was no use fighting this; she knew herself well enough than to bother trying to tell herself she didn't want to seek the answer to a question.

 _I'm going to._

A deep breath in, a slow exhale out, and she sat up with purpose and pocketed her cell phone. "I need another flashlight. And a backpack."

* * *

Levy tried to stick to the same path they had the night before, and the remaining daylight provided some more assistance than they had the night before. But still, she knew far better than to let herself get comfortable in any capacity, and remained ever alert. In terms of wilderness, she knew she was not alone in these woods. That should have deterred her, or any reasonable person like her friends.

Soon, the trees began to thin and she came to the chain-link fence again. The déjà vu crashed down upon her suddenly, stopping her mid-step and catching the breath in her throat. _What are you doing?!_ Her more rational self berated her. The lab loomed beyond the fence, windows dirty and dark. Her tiny hands gripped her backpack's straps and she bit her lip, taking a small step backwards. It had taken this long for her thoughts to actually catch up to what her impulse had pushed her to do, and now the final choice was too daunting.

 _I'm…I'm here now. And I won't ever get it out of my head until I know more,_ she steeled herself. Levy swallowed hard, nodded, and pushed ahead along the fence. She had maybe an hour of daylight left, and she may as well take advantage of it outside where the light could actually reach. Ducking through the opening in the fence, her eyes continued to dart around the expansive, overgrown grounds of the facility, checking for any movement.

With a pop in her step, Levy quickly darted to the front of the building, getting a better look now at the smashed doors. _Could he really have done this? And all I came out with were four stitches?_

The girl slipped one strap of her pack off her shoulder so she could rummage around inside and pull out her light. She made sure to tuck a wrapped item carefully at the top of her belongings before she zipped it up and slid the strap back up. Levy swallowed hard again, before pushing herself inside, treading carefully. She wasn't entirely sure where she planned on going, and thought that maybe she should head back downstairs where they first found him. _The stairs were wrecked though, I remember that much._ So that wasn't likely to be an option, okay. _I may as well try looking around more._

Her flashlight's beam swung across her path, illuminating countless abandoned desks. She could now appreciate how different this floor looked as opposed to the basement. Sure, the unidentifiable machinery was still littered around, but between what looked like potted plants(that died who knows how long ago), assorted desks and large, dirty windows, this floor looked more like a showroom than anything else.

Her fingertips trailed lightly along a desk, shuffling papers that had nothing of real interest on them. _Looks like menial desk work._ she thought, disappointed. There was still, however, the floor that she had not get gotten to. If the basement looked as horrific as it did, it made sense that was where the work was done. This was the floor shown to donors; she could only imagine the back rooms having large projector screens and scribbled upon whiteboards. Then then top floor could have been any number of things. Could have been another experimental floor.

 _Not likely._ Levy shook her head. The next option was record keeping. Sure there were probably scribbles in notebooks downstairs, but there had to be somewhere they kept _actual_ records. And the top floor seemed _really_ promising for that. A prick of excitement flared up in Levy's chest, and she turned from the desk abruptly with an established decision in mind.

Instead of illuminating the once open room behind her, it reflected off what looked like a wall of metal. A wall that started to shake with a deep, threatening growl.

Levy stumbled backwards and knocked right back into a desk. The sudden sensation of being cornered, again, washed over her. Her honey-colored eyes flew up to meet _very_ red, _very_ angry eyes. And again, she felt the words rising in her throat faster than she could think to stop them.

"I have sandwiches!"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Lots of fluffing and plumping added over a page and a half to this chapter! I really wanted to make their emotional journey a little more detailed. I'm really hoping to start adding scenes as I keep moving forward through the chapter edits.

* * *

"You have….what?" The outburst was so sudden and unexpected that for a minute he forgot to be angry. His resolve fell straight to the floor and shattered with the tiny, pathetic exclamation from the shockingly familiar blue-haired woman.

"S-Sandwiches," she squeaked, "I brought them." Levy's flashlight shook in her grip. She tried to stand as straight as she could, feigning some level of bravery. She tried also to remember the resolve and determination that brought her here, but somehow under that ruby gaze she found herself struggling to keep that resolve.

He couldn't believe the sight before him. This pint-sized, wild-haired, _ridiculous_ woman was standing there in front of him, _offering food._ But the detail that was even more baffling, _even more_ mind-blowing than anything else, was that she had come back. Why in Mavis's name would she ever take the journey to come _back?_ She had left here with a gash on her head and a pretty clear view of what he was. He had chased her, terrorized her, and he left her out in the woods alone.

But yet, here she was. With sandwiches.

Soon enough that nagging, picking voice crept back into his thoughts and stoked the fires of doubt and suspicion. _Why_ had she come back? The only logical answer, for him, was foul play.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" he growled, taking a heavy step towards her. The emphasized weight of his footfall echoed through the room. She didn't answer, only edged back against the desk and continued to stare at him slackjawed. For that moment she had run out of words. The lack of answer only left room for his thoughts to conjure one, and none of them were positive. "What do you want with me?!" the beast shouted. She flinched, like he expected her to. But what he did not expect was the lack of satisfaction that should have come with it. "Ya must be some kind of stupid to come out here by yourself," he added with a deep snarl.

The escalation in his emotions pushed her to come up with something, anything, to break her silence that only seemed to aggravate him more. "I-I thought that you probably…don't have a lot to eat," Levy said, forcing volume into her voice, "And I want to know your name." She added quickly, spitting out the rehearsed statement before she could screw it up. "If that's okay." _He's never going to believe I came out here for a name. But if I tell him I want to 'investigate' him then that probably won't go over so well either. He's so hair-triggered already. He's like a frightened animal. Why is he so afraid?_

Much to her surprise, he was aghast, unable to keep his mouth from dropping open. Once more, her answer had completely distracted him from his intimidating bravado, and this was a position he seemed to be finding himself in quite often with this curious woman's presence. In utter shock; flabbergasted. "…Why?" he finally replied in a quieter tone, having lost his growl. The death of the rehearsed rage in his voice filled him with shame.

Levy fidgeted with the hem of her yellow shirt. "Because it's polite?" What else was she supposed to say? "My name is Levy…if that helps."

What reason had he to tell her anything? He should be throwing her out of there, making her _wish_ she had never come back. Or that she'd even been here in the first place. "I could kill you," he growled, frustrated at his lack of commitment. "I should."

"But you haven't," Levy shot back immediately, feeling just a sliver more confident.

With that little quip she had called his bluff and brought him back down again. Every time he started to wind up, she'd disarm him. _It's not like I'm doing my best scare work anyway,_ he thought, trying to hand himself come credit; any at all. Still, there was another drawn out moment of silence.

He never wanted to kill anyone. If anything all it would do is blow his cover and it was far more against his best interests than the victim's. At least that was the reasoning he would give.

This was all incredibly foreign–hell, this was the most he had spoken in years–and deep in his gut he couldn't quell the ever-present fear. This minuscule, fragile woman _terrified_ him, and he actively had to keep from showing it. He was in just as much, if not more danger than she was. _Any_ time someone showed up, his entire wellbeing was at risk. His name and his existence, as far as the world was concerned, died when the lab did. And it was absolutely _vital_ that he keep it that way. The nightmares of what he had endured…what he could endure again, still haunted him. Discovery would only bring all of that upon him once more. And he swore in flames and smoke that he would _never_ let that happen again.

The woman standing in front of him was an astronomical danger to his secrecy. He could be found out and exposed in no time at all, or he would have to flee into the mountains and then what? At least here he had shelter and a home base.

But, at the same time, she was offering him food and asking for his name. When was the last time someone asked him that? It was a miracle he even remembered his own name. He remembered his patient number far more clearly: X777. For the longest time that was all that anyone, and eventually even himself, knew him as.

"Gajeel," he finally said, trying to stop his thoughts on the dark path they were heading down. "My name is Gajeel." Just like that. That was it; the door was cracked open.

Levy's face lit up and was warmed by a small smile despite herself. There was a profound kindness, mixed with victorious excitement on this woman's face that could have slain Gajeel on the spot. In fact, it might have. _God damn it, what is this…_ he thought, resisting the urge to clutch his chest. _Why am I humoring her?_ He'd be lying to himself if he tried to say he wasn't curious or that he wasn't intrigued by her. If anything she was good enough to use for a little entertainment; a break in his routine until she disappeared for good, eventually realizing that normal life was a little more appropriate than spending time with a literal monster.

All the same, if he let her keep sitting there and smiling at him like that, he might lose himself entirely. He still had some dignity left. "Quit lookin' so pleased, shrimp. You gonna show me what you brought or not," he finally said, putting his hands on his sides.

Levy looked flustered, as though she had forgotten about the food she so loudly announced ownership of earlier. "Right!" She set down her flashlight on the desk next to her, angling it such that it could provide them both with enough ambient light. She slid the pack off her back and pulled the creaky chair from the desk to set it on. From inside she pulled out four individually wrapped items. "I… I didn't know how many to bring and I ended up not having enough bread for more than this so I hope it's okay," Levy said apologetically, setting one to the side and extending the other three towards him.

Gajeel stared at the offering for a second, one eyebrow quirked in lasting suspicion. He had to force himself to move past it. "That's, that's fine," he mumbled, reaching out to take them from her. As he leaned more into the light, Levy's eyes wandered. His body had very human definition and shape, but in this light, she could see that his skin was most definitely metal. In fact, it looked like he had scales.

When he took the sandwiches from her hands, she could feel cold, smooth fingers brush against hers. _His hands are so much bigger than mine,_ she noted, looking up now towards his face, of which she had a better look now in the light. _So human._ Aside from the red eyes and metal flesh, he had a remarkably human face. Studs decorated his features, along his brow, down either side of his nose, and trailing down below his mouth.

"You gonna take a picture or what?" The sudden snap sharply retrieved Levy from her thoughts. The girl looked away quickly, blushing furiously from embarrassment.

"Sorry!" she quipped, scrambling for her sandwich.

"Nah that's fine, stare at the monster," he grumbled sarcastically, "but you can run whenever ya feel like it." He slapped on a taunting grin, flashing dangerous fangs. It looked forced to Levy, and the bitterness was tangible.

"I'm not running," Levy responded, avoiding eye contact. If she met that gaze, she knew the confident defiance in her tone would waver. She had gotten his name and gotten him to tolerate her, but she knew she was still edging the emotional equivalent to a very scared, and very strong animal.

Gajeel huffed, and in one dramatic motion folded a leg and plopped down on the floor to sit. The loud, hard thud startled Levy a little, but after a moment she followed suit a few feet from him. Gajeel eyed her intently while unwrapping one of the sandwiches, and half of it disappeared in one bite. His eyebrows raised in surprise, _damn these are good?_ "What're ya even doin' out here by yourself? Ya got nothin' better to do than come out looking for trouble?" he asked with his mouth full.

Levy mused over it for several moments while she chewed. _Honestly, why am I even here? I haven't even planned this far ahead, what am I supposed to do here?_ she thought. "I'm curious," she answered after a pause, glancing at him for a reaction. He was still staring at her unwaveringly, and she felt uneasy under the intensity. It pushed her to say more, to try and ease the silent glowering. "To be honest. I wanted to know more… about this place and you," she added. Her trailing tone indicated that she hadn't finished her thought yet. "And last night you could have-," she stopped herself looked down at her hands and fidgeted with the wrapping of her sandwich, trying to pick her words carefully, "and you didn't. Lucy told me that they found me outside." She looked up now and met his eyes with a little more assurance in herself. "I definitely blacked out at the stairs," she eyed him carefully. Levy didn't want to ask directly if he had brought her outside. A direct question was too easy to dismiss with a quick 'no.'

Gajeel huffed again, "I didn't need a dead girl in here 's all. If I left ya, people would'a have come snooping around again," he said flippantly, shoving the rest of the first sandwich in his mouth. "Don' get in yer head I was doin' a fav'r," the sandwich in his mouth did nothing to keep him from trying to drive his point home that he was definitely apathetic. He definitely didn't care. It was entirely self-serving to take the girl outside and leave her.

Levy wrinkled her nose and gave him no pause, "I don't buy that," she stated bluntly and took another bite.

Gajeel was caught off guard for just a second. _Damn, I'm really fumbling here,_ he thought. In his defense, this was the longest conversation he'd had with anyone that he could remember. Gajeel had very little practice in wit and it showed. This girl was just something else. She had no qualms now with calling him out, and he couldn't tell if he was impressed or bothered by her quick growth in confidence. Moments before responding, he decided it best for him to settle on the latter, and he prickled, "Ya callin' me a liar?"

Levy stiffened, shaking her head, vigorously. Two steps back. "N-no! I just, I just don't think that's it." _Annnnd it still sounds like I'm calling him a liar,_ she scolded herself.

Despite himself, Gajeel felt a chuckle rise in him. He only barely managed to strangle it before he could make a sound. Still, her flustered reaction pushed him back towards amusement before he could really stop himself. "Ya totally sure of that, shrimp?"

"Stop calling me that! I gave you my name," Levy snapped in protest. "And I'm not that short…" she added under her breath.

"You're fuckin' tiny," Gajeel bounced back without missing a beat. The desperate whine that escaped her unexpectedly twisted his stomach with a feeling that startled him. In a very–at this point–practiced manner, he ignored it. Regardless, she had brought him farther from being apprehensive of him and closer to this weird sense of 'I enjoy this company.'

For once, Levy couldn't think of what to say back, and instead focused on finishing her food with a heavy pout on her face. The growing comfort of the situation was not lost on her, however. The longer she sat here, the more she felt comfortable and the more it felt like a natural conversation. It seemed like he was becoming a little more stable and a little less distrusting of her. That realization brought a sense of boldness with the questions she was dying to have answered.

"How long have you been here…?" Levy asked slowly, knowing that now she was delving into heavier conversation and truly testing how much he 'trusted' her at this point. They didn't know each other, she didn't even know if she could use the word 'trust.'

It was hard to tell in the dark, but it looked like Gajeel stiffened, narrowing his eyes a little in her direction. He too picked up on the probing nature the conversation had taken on now. The man's gaze was prying, looking for any shred of malice, anything that would give him a reason not to indulge her. There had to have been some shadow in her gaze, anything to tip him off and ruin the warm image she had been projecting. Look as he may, though, he could find no such indicators. Only cautious patience.

Who was he kidding? He had already decided there was nothing like that to be found when he told her his name. He had crossed over an unseen threshold towards her and she only drew him closer with her kind presence.

Gajeel let out a tired sigh, looking to the floor. "Well…I started here at…18," he held out a hand and started counting fingers, "The project lasted, three years," he looked up to Levy, brows furrowed, "Hold on, what year is it?"

She was taken aback at the question, but she didn't want to stop him, "It's October, 2015."

It looked to take a moment for the words to register, and he stared at her blankly until he finally mustered a simple, "Oh." Gajeel rolled his shoulders, battling something internally. "Must be about another three years since it went to shit, then."

The girl blinked, and it was her turn to try and catch up. " _Six years_?" Levy breathed, her chest twisting in _absolute pity_. "You've been here for six years?" Another realization struck, "You've been _alone_ for three?" The girl couldn't stop the words falling from her; it was so incomprehensible to her and even though she sought answers, this wasn't quite what she expected. Well, really, it should have been. Levy wasn't chasing a happy story here. Regardless, she wasn't prepared for it.

Gajeel did not miss her reaction, and he did not take it kindly, "I don't need any of your pity, _shrimp,_ so you can put that shit away," he snapped, "Ain't you out past your bedtime, anyway?" He didn't need much experience talking to people to see where this conversation was going and he didn't want it. A change of subject, and an indirect 'it's time for you to leave' was necessary. That was enough of this little meeting, and it was time for her to return to her world and leave him back to his.

Levy shifted anxiously, knowing that was him ending the topic and, truly, he had every right to. There were answers she wanted, but they were his to give. Levy needed to earn them.

She peeked at her phone inside her bag. _It's already almost nine?_ She thought, considering again how little thought she had put into this, because now she had to walk back.

"I guess I should," she conceded, before laughing nervously and rubbing the back of her head, "I haven't really slept much since..."

Gajeel glanced at the bandage on her head and frowned and the twist in his gut. _The hell you feel bad for? It was her own damn fault,_ he thought, huffing again. Her agreeing to leave left him feeling a lot of what he expected—relief—and also a lot of what he didn't recognize right away. The mix of emotions was difficult to separate, but when she got to her feet and moved to leave, it became apparent. Or rather, apparent in understanding, but he couldn't name the feeling. Just that it felt like he had a thread tied to him, and also to her. When she moved with the intent to leave, he could swear he felt a tug.

"Hey, Gajeel?"

The man of iron jumped a little, the sound of his own name startling him. _It sounds really nice coming from her…_ he thought, shaking his head quickly. "What?" he replied.

"Could I, uh, would it be alright if I came back? Tomorrow maybe? I can, I can bring more food," Levy asked nervously, wringing her hands and anxiously awaiting his answer.

The surprises just kept coming. It took him a second to understand what she was asking him. He was doing a lot of that; keeping up was quickly becoming exhausting. _She…she wants to come back? Here?_ He thought incredulously. He wanted to think it was a trick–a lie–because why the hell would someone like her want to come here even twice, let alone three times? How could someone like her, someone so small and fragile, willingly choose to spend time with a beast?

As much as instinct shouted at him to say no… "Whatever, shorty," he tried to sound nonchalant. But truthfully, the idea of having company, _her_ company, was more than appealing to him. "But you better not tell anyone, _anyone_ about it, ya hear? You come alone or else!" Gajeel barked, and Levy nodded vigorously in response.

"I promise!" She replied, overly excited that he had even said yes. That bright, warm smile spread on her face again and Gajeel felt himself in danger again. A sort of danger he was still trying to figure out how to deal with.

"And," Gajeel hauled himself up to his feet as well, "you don't need to bring food if you don't have enough," he added, scratching the back of his head with a finger.

"But don't you–" Levy started to say, interrupted when he turned away from her sharply. He stepped away into the darkness, and she had started to protest when she heard something break, and he came back into the light.

He held something out for her to see, and it looked like a piece of machine. Her curious face asked the question for her. "Iron," he declared and proceeded, much to Levy's absolute shock, to take bites from it like it was a cracker. There he was, chowing down on an actual piece of iron.

"Is…that what you eat?" Levy asked incredulously.

"If I hafta," he mumbled back, his mouth full.

"Okay," Levy responded, and she could have smacked herself for such a lame answer. But really, she couldn't come up with anything else to say. It was with that that she reached her limit of things to try and comprehend for the night. She instead chose to gather her things, feeling like she had been here too long.

Gajeel picked up on her movements and, realizing their time was short, hastily added, "Thanks. For the food."

Levy smiled again, and Gajeel felt the intruding warmth in his chest once more. "That took long enough. We're even now," she said, "You don't kill me, I bring you sandwiches." The girl managed a wink, and Gajeel thanked the powers that be for the darkness. Had there been better light, she might have seen him flinch and his hand twitch, watching to clutch his thudding chest before he stopped himself.

Unaware, Levy swung her pack over her shoulders and picked up her flashlight. She stood in place for just a second, getting her bearings to head back to the exit.

"It's this way," Gajeel grumbled, deciding it best to not let her wander around trying to find her way out. The last thing he needed was for her to hurt herself again.

Gajeel turned, beckoned with his hand, and cleared the room towards the front. He could have probably found it with his eyes closed. Levy, however, was not as graceful; he could hear her kick a few chairs or whatever else while trying to keep up with him, and he could not help the amusement at her whispered curses. His face away from her view, a fanged smile—a real one—finally spread on his features.

Levy could hear the sound of crickets getting louder and smell fresher air at the entrance and shined her light outside. Gajeel looked from the little woman to the darkness into which she was to disappear and navigate. There was a burn in his chest that rose at the thought of her getting back by herself, "You regrettin' coming back here alone yet?" he tried to joke to hide his concern.

"I'll be fine!" Levy said as confidently as she could, "It's not too far, really," she added, her confidence wavering.

"Y'know there are bears out here, right?" he added, not directly trying to frighten her, but it was the result regardless.

"Yep," Levy answered, tight-lipped, "I just gotta make a lot of noise and they wont bother me," she declared, straightening up and puffing her chest out a little. The woman spun on her heel and looked up to Gajeel so suddenly that he leaned back a little, eyebrows raised. "I'll be back tomorrow when I can," she said, smiling at him for reassurance.

She was still intent on that. Multiple times now she said she intended to come back. "Don't matter either way to me, shorty," Gajeel huffed, crossing his arms leaning backwards into his ruins. He refused to allow his hope to become apparent.

"Levy," she correctly sharply, before giving a quick nod, and turning to march off into the darkness. "Oh, and one more thing," she looked back over her shoulder, "I don't think you're a monster." Before he could answer, she was headed off into the dark, her little form just a silhouette behind her flashlight.

* * *

 _You'll be fine Levy. Seriously, you haven't seen one in ages,_ she thought, trying really hard to give herself confidence and not scold herself too much for thinking it was a good idea to come here alone. At night. With only a flashlight and a backpack that smelled like sandwiches.

It was a poor decision, yes, but ultimately she didn't regret coming here again. The information she had learned tonight tore her up inside. _Three years by himself? And the other three…what did they do to him?_ Levy couldn't rid herself of the thoughts, and the more she dwelled on it, the more she wanted to go back. For different reasons than she had initially intended. _He's been alone all this time, and he's so angry but he also afraid. He's terrified of being found out…_ she continued to muse, smacking her flashlight on bushes occasionally to keep making noise.

 _He's mean, and rude. But I think… I think he really doesn't want to be alone. That maybe he does think he has to keep hiding, but he doesn't want to be completely alone._ The idea of that continued to break her heart. No one deserved that. It was all she could come up with to justify him lashing out repeatedly the way he did, but yet still letting her speak with him.

Levy was so deep into her own head that it took a moment for her to realize that she heard something rustling in the vegetation around her. Her body went cold and her stomach dropped to her feet. She stopped in place to try and hear better and held her breath. _It's right here._ _Oh my god, oh my god, make noise Levy, you make noise for your life!_ Levy immediately began flailing her arms in the air, probably looking like a lunatic, and started shouting. " _No_ _!"_ was the first thing out of her mouth, followed by incoherent screaming. _Aren't you supposed to say something like 'shoo bear?'_

From the bushes emerged nothing more than a lanky coyote, watching her fixedly. _Not a bear!_ she thought with intense relief, before realizing at the animal was still staring at her, and not backing off. Which could still be a problem. _Coyotes are flighty though._ Slowly, Levy kneeled down, keeping her eyes on the canine, and picked up a rock at her feet. The girl straightened, winding up to throw.

Before she could, a dark, snarling blur flew by her with such force that the gust whipped her hair about her. A powerful crash followed immediately after, and the terrified yip of the coyote filled the air as it raced into the darkness, fearing for its life. The departure of one threat _would_ have left Levy feeling relieved, were it not for the fact that something else was now with her. Something much larger than the coyote, and with a far more frightening growl.

The dark form pulled its fist from the earth and stood up straight to intimidating height. A deep growl filled the air and Levy shook, moving backwards uneasily. "You're damn useless, shrimp," the gruff voice brought her to her senses, and she stared at the iron dragon in disbelief.

" _Gajeel…?_ " she choked out, her hands dropping to her sides.

The man turned to her and wordlessly closed the distance between them. Gajeel stopped close enough to her to make her aware, again, of how small she was in comparison to him. She could have sworn she saw his eyes sweep over her briefly. "It wasn't even a damn bear and you're out here screamin' bloody murder for the world to hear, like you were…" he trailed off, frustrated. Seeing that she was unharmed defused his anger somewhat. "I'm walking you home," Gajeel declared, giving her little room to object. Her surprised expression quickly pushed him to backtrack, "So you don't end up dead out here. That's the last damn thing I need."

Frightened, and with her hands now clutched to her chest holding the rock she planned to throw, Levy nodded quickly. She absolutely wasn't going to protest, because somehow the woods were more frightening than he had been at any point tonight.

The girl agreeing to his help allowed him to take a deep breath and try to settle his racing pulse. _Calm yourself down, god damn it,_ he scolded himself, trying to steady his breathing and unclench his fists. He had just settled back into his familiar silence when that sound reached him, and something primal woke up in him. Was it possessive? Or protective?

The screaming and shouting were clear as day all the way at the lab for someone with hearing like his. Her screams ignited a fire in him he didn't know he had, for someone he barely knew. Just like that, he found himself already halfway there nearly downing trees in his wake before he had realized what he was doing or why. _What did I just do?! My body just moved on its own…_ Gajeel clenched his teeth, _I didn't want… I couldn't let her…_

"I-it's this way," Levy broke him from his swirling thoughts, awkwardly gesturing, "I'm pretty sure anyway." Gajeel nodded silently, and moved to follow her.

The quiet was unsettling, and she kept glancing over her shoulder at him. His arms were crossed, looking like they were locked there, and his gaze focused ahead past her. It was clear he was avoiding looking at her, and Levy swallowed hard, looking forward again. What she couldn't see was that even though he refused to look at her, he was looking at everything else. He tuned in to every sound around them, and every muscle in his body was coiled with the adrenaline he had been unable to quell as long as she was near him.

The rest of the walk was in painful silence, until the yellow light of the street lamps finally started to seep through the greenery. Levy smiled in relief, stepping into the open. The blunette looked up the empty street, motioning to the line of houses. "Mine is that one, at the end. I should be fine from–" As she turned back to face him, she could see that he had fallen far behind. All the way to the tree line in fact, refusing to come into the open.

This was the closest he had been to Magnolia since everything went under, and he had done it because of this woman. His name, his location, and a loss of control had all been her doing.

Regardless, he looked to the small house in the distance, at the end of the well-lit street. _Fitting. It's tiny too,_ he thought.

Looking back to meet her gaze, Gajeel nodded and took a step backwards.

"Thank you, again," Levy called, turning to fully face him and hold a hand to her chest in earnest. "I promise I'll come back," Levy smiled. "In daylight this time." An unreadable expression crossed his features and he faltered.

 _Don't come. Stay away, just don't…_

Levy finally heard him grunt in acknowledgement, and melt wordlessly into the dark. _Did I do something?_ She thought, pausing a moment before she turned to walk into the deserted street, longing for her own bed.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I had a lot of fun editing this chapter! I think with fluff here and there, and the tweaking of some interactions I added about two or three pages to the chapter. I hope that you are all still enjoying this, and I would like my readers to know that I read all of your reviews, and I hear your critique. There are parts of this story I will stay true to as my judgement as the author, but I still hear and appreciate all your critique. ;]

* * *

"Levy! Are you listening to me?"

The blunette snapped to attention, focusing back on her blonde friend. "Yes, sorry! Halloween, right!" Levy must've zoned out completely judging by the annoyed look on her friend's face.

"That doesn't answer my question, Lev. You're coming to Natsu's tonight, right?" Lucy repeated, bouncing a little on the bed impatiently. Having not heard from Levy again the night before, she came over promptly in the morning to check in on her best friend. The blunette awoke, reluctantly, to her friend bounding into bed with her and for a moment she cursed giving the blonde a key.

Lucy did make up for it by making them both coffee to sip in bed, which went really nicely with the cool air wafting in through the windows and the trees rustling outside. Winter was on the breeze, and she guessed it wouldn't be long until fluffy flakes started to waft into Magnolia.

She did have to suffer a minor panic attack, however, when a confused and disappointed 'why don't you have any bread for toast?' sounded from her kitchen earlier. Which inevitably took her thoughts to the night before. Not that the detail was anything close to being significant enough to cause her friend to be suspicious; but it was nerve-wracking all the same.

"Yeah, I think so," Levy finally answered, "I don't really have a costume yet." She smiled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Levy! You'd better not blow it off this year," Lucy scolded.

"But if I do then you can put all your attention on one person," Levy teased with a playful wink. Satisfaction rose in her when her friend's face turned beet red, and she sputtered trying to defend herself.

"I told you there's nothing going on with me and Natsu!" Lucy whined, shoving her face back in her coffee mug to try and hide her blush.

"I never said anything about Natsu, Lu. Clearly you've got him on the brain, though," Levy stuck her tongue out, amusement lighting her features. Lucy struggled even more to redeem herself, nearly spilling her coffee. "Sorry sorry! I couldn't resist," Levy giggled, and turned her gaze out the window. "You know I don't really like parties, especially Natsu's," she tried to shift the conversation, for the sake of her friend's dignity. "He and Gray always end up getting into some kind of shouting match and riling everyone else up," Levy shook her head, "And somehow I think that pairs badly with a firepit in their backyard and a bunch of flammable costumes."

Lucy huffed and waved her hand, "It'll be _fine_ ," she dismissed, "I'm sure I've got something you can wear. I might have cat ears or something lying around," Lucy mused, drawing a sigh from Levy.

"I'll leave it to you, Lu, just tell me where to be," Levy finally conceded, "You have to work today, right?"

Lucy groaned and looked at the clock: nine forty-five. "Yeah. In an hour," she answered, downing the last of her coffee. "I'm not jealous of that," Lucy gestured to the bandage on Levy's head, "But I am definitely jealous of the days off you got because of it." The blunette smiled faintly, looking down into her mug. Lucy gave her a lingering glance, a hint of concern on her features before she reluctantly crawled out of bed. "It's gonna be nuts today," The blonde whined, smoothing back her hair before flashing a smile to Levy, "I'll be over tonight after work to get ready!"

Levy laughed and nodded, "I know I know," she answered, "Try not to kill anyone today."

Lucy waved on her way out, "No promises, it _is_ retail~!"

She shook her head, waiting to hear the front door shut and announce her friend's departure. As soon as she heard the click, the blunette was out of bed and rummaging through her closet for something to change into. Levy narrowed her eyes at the selection. _Do I really only buy things if they're yellow?_ There was a very clear palette preference that she only seemed to notice just now.

Sighing in defeat, she grabbed a simple long-sleeved yellow shirt, a white bow sewn onto the front of the collar, and jeans. Not wanting to bother trying to tame her wavy, curly bed-head, Levy simply ran her fingers through it a few times before grabbing a yellow scarf to tie it back with.

Honey-brown eyes swept the room around her, considering what she should bring. _I guess I don't need to bring anything to eat,_ she thought. Levy stopped for a moment, spacing out as he thoughts started to wander again. _Last night…_ The girl had tried not to look too deeply into anything that happened mere hours ago, but the fact of the matter was that he had come to her defense and he didn't even have to. A coyote was a measly threat, but within seconds he was there, a different kind of fury on his face than she had seen before.

 _He protected me,_ she finally acknowledged. But she did not forget how quiet he had been after the event, not speaking another word to her for the rest of their time together. If she didn't know better, she'd think he was embarrassed.

Levy wasn't even sure if the invitation still stood for her to come back. Which made her consider for a moment not seeing the man of iron again, and just not going back. Of just resuming her normal, quiet life untouched by the supernatural. And that brief thought struck her painfully. Not only with disappointment, but with a different emotion that could have brought tears to her eyes.

The thought of him there by himself, trapped in those silent halls and surrounded by the evidence of every wrongdoing made against him killed her. Call her a bleeding heart, but she couldn't bear just leaving him like that. Not just because she was interested to know more about him, but because she enjoyed his company. And he deserved a friend. She didn't know if she could even consider herself having gotten that far yet, but it was worth a shot.

Without further thought, Levy quickly grabbed her keys and phone and was about to head out the door when she hesitated. _I know what I can bring!_

* * *

He hated it. More than anything, he hated every tiny aspect about this present moment. And Gajeel had been given a lot of things to hate in the last six years, so this was pretty high up. The lies he had been told, the people that had ruined his life: all of them ranked pretty high on his list. But the top spot of his list had been taken over in one night, putting everything else to the side.

Hope.

Gajeel didn't normally sleep much; the nightmares wouldn't let him. But last night was more restless than usual. His thoughts were filled with nothing but her voice, and every time he closed his eyes all he saw was blue and yellow. So much so that he finally gave up on trying to rest or think of anything else. The second that dawn started to cast its first splash of orange onto the night sky, he raced upstairs and sat at the window that looked out on the front of the grounds.

He could only feel one thing sitting there, and it was hope. Gajeel hated himself for being so weak and allowing himself to fall victim to something so dangerous. The minutes felt like hours, and every flash of movement brought a flutter in his chest that he despised more and more each time it manifested. He wanted so badly for her to appear that he began to worry what would happen if she _didn't_ show.

Gajeel tried several times, futilely, to deflect his attention elsewhere, occupy himself with anything else. But every second not watching filled him with anxiety, because _what if he missed her._ It didn't matter that she knew where to find him at this point, he wanted to know the second she arrived. Or, for certain that she didn't keep her word.

As time pressed on and the sun sat higher in the sky, his self-preservation started to kick in. _Why get your hopes up? She was a fluke; she won't come back. Get used to it,_ he berated himself. _You've already made a fool of yourself once with that idiotic stunt, getting so close to town for such a useless girl._ Every thought seemed to dim the flame, beating himself further and further down. He was well versed in the art of cutting himself down, and it was a near perfect defense mechanism.

Every ounce of that doubt and self loathing was undone in an instant.

It just took a single second accompanied by a flash of yellow and blue against a distant green background. She was far, hard to see through the fencing, but with his eyesight it was unmistakeable. Every one of those thoughts, the dark thoughts that had always been constant white noise, went silent. Despite knowing what he saw, his eyes still went wide as she stepped out through the fence and he could see her clearly.

There was another moment of hesitation as his gaze shifted down to himself and his current state, uneasiness passing through him. Despite his hesitance, he still moved to leave his perch as she drew closer to the lab.

An excited nervousness spurred Levy forwards, and she thought about the contents of her pack. As she paused in the front entryway, Levy took a moment to look at the facility in new, early light. There was so much more to be seen, and though everything looked a lot less sinister in daylight, the decrepit building still held an air of menace.

Movement caught her eye, and she turned with a smile towards its source. "Morning, Gaj–!" The smile quickly faded, and a look of panic flew onto her face. What she had expected to see was her iron acquaintance, but instead her eyes fell upon an ordinary man, standing at the base of the stairs to the top floor.

Levy took an instinctive step back, her eyes sweeping around the room frantically. "Y-You," she stammered, thinking only of her promise of secrecy, "You shouldn't be here!" she exclaimed, watching as the man appeared to sigh, roll his eyes, and step towards her. An action that had started to spark her panic even further, until she saw the glint of metal on his face and what looked like a nail hanging from his lips that he was chewing on idly.

The blunette paused, before recognition started to show on her features. "….Gajeel?"

"Who else, shrimp?" his rough voice answered, chowing down on the rest of the nail. Admittedly, he couldn't help but be amused by her reaction, a small grin playing on his face. _Gotta give her credit for remembering what I told her,_ he thought with relief, imagining then how she might have tried to run him out of there if she didn't end up recognizing who he was. This time, he couldn't stop the chuckle from breaking past his lips, leaving him shocked at the unfamiliar feeling, "Gi-he!"

"But, but, you're…." Levy gestured at him, struggling to find the right words, "Not metal," she finally added, before embarrassment heated her face, _Nice going! Real polite!_

"And?" Gajeel drawled, stopping a few feet from her, taking in the sight of the confused girl in front of him. _She looks different when she's not lit up by a flashlight,_ he thought. "You ain't known me that long, kid; there's a lot ya don't know yet."

Now this was a development she hadn't expected. _He can…he can change?_ She thought incredulously. "Oh." She replied uselessly. Her eyes studied him, an action that seemed to make the man uncomfortable judging by his tense posture, but she couldn't help it. The studs on his face remained, and she now noticed that he had even more running down his arms. He was just as muscular as his iron form, and maintained the large black mane, disheveled though it was.

"You're starin' again," Gajeel chided, though he conspicuously lacked an air of fierceness from before.

Levy could have smacked herself for doing it again, "Sorry!" She exclaimed, shaking her head to recover herself from the embarrassment.

He shifted awkwardly, then gestured to her pack, "Whatcha got this time?" He asked, trying to shift topics.

Levy, however, was still barely over the whole _he can change bodies_ thing. From her burning curiosity, an idea struck. She raised a finger, standing confidently and looking up to him with a smile, "Let's make a deal," Levy started, and he lifted a quizzical brow, "Answer for answer. One of us answers one question at a time and each answer we give earns us another question in turn, until someone calls quits," she explained, "Sound good?"

 _You just get weirder and weirder, shrimp,_ he thought, drawing a hand down his face. But still, he was just as curious about the girl that seemed able to disarm him, and this seemed like it would work for him as much for her. And he earned him a captive audience with the intriguing little woman. "Fine." He conceded, "And I asked the first one," He pointed to her backpack again, and Levy flashed a satisfied smile. She looked around again for somewhere to set her things, and beckoned him to follow her as she walked towards one of the desks.

She pulled her bag off her back and set in in front of her as Gajeel walked up behind her, peering over the girl's shoulder curiously. His proximity was something he was a little oblivious to, but it wasn't lost on Levy. A chill shot up her spine that surprised her, and she shifted just a little to try and get some space. It was then that he noticed her discomfort, and he begrudgingly leaned back.

From the bag, she first pulled a large, black garment and turned to present it to Gajeel. "I really hope it fits. It's going to start getting a lot colder so I figured," she looked up to him to try and size him up in comparison to the fabric, "You might not have something like it."

Perplexed, Gajeel took the item from her and held it out in front of him. _A jacket?_ He thought, examining the old zippered garment in his hands. _Smells musty._

Levy proceeded to also pull out a pair of grey sweatpants, and a red and white scarf. "These you can obviously change into later… It's not much and you may not even want it but–"

"It's fine," Gajeel interrupted. Without really thinking about it, he had started to slip off his own tattered jacket, revealing more chiseled and significantly scarred flesh. Levy abruptly averted her gaze with a pink tinge on her cheeks. _I've been on my own too long… forget how I'm supposed to act,_ he thought. Regardless, and trying to dissipate the awkwardness he caused, Gajeel slipped on the jacket and shrugged his shoulders. It was a little tight across the shoulders, but fit much to his surprise. "Where did you even–"

"Ah ah," Levy stopped him with another raised finger, "It's my turn." A frustrated growl rumbled in Gajeel's chest, but he grunted acknowledgment either way. Fair is fair. She smiled, barely able to get her words out fast enough, "Can you change whenever you want?"

The question was obvious; it had been all over her face since she saw him. But he still couldn't help the feeling of surprise: that she even wanted to know and was sticking around to find out. She may have seen his iron visage first, and it was enough of a mystery as to why that alone didn't deter her, but now she had seen even more of the extent to which he _was not human._ And in the face of all that she just wanted to know more.

"You're still expecting me to run at any second, aren't you?" Levy added, tilting her head. Gajeel was taken by surprise, and worked quickly to hide it.

"You're breakin' your own rules, shrimp. You already asked one question." He chided with a smug grin. Gajeel grabbed a chair and plopped down, straddling it. He crossed his arms across the back of the chair and leaned forward. "I can. Sort of," he finally said. As Levy took a seat herself, her big brown eyes begged him to elaborate.

He felt a twist in his gut, wanting nothing more than to keep her from this information. As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, he greatly enjoyed her company. It was a break from the monotonous solitude that didn't involve shouting or breaking things.

The blue and yellow woman hadn't left his thoughts for a minute after parting from her last night. Her continued interest and willingness to be around him, as much as he tried to distrust it as some kind of trickery, was not something he wanted to lose. Nearly every bit of him still expected her to leave the more he told her about himself.

But then he would look into those honey-brown, _kind_ eyes, and the distrust seemed entirely irrational. No amount of practiced self-scolding could dismiss the absolute _joy_ he felt when she appeared at the fence today, as promised.

"Sometimes it just happens. At night mostly." Intrigue lit Levy's face, urging him onward. "It's a rhythm, I figure. Back then, _they,"_ he curled a lip in distaste, "Did most of the work after hours. Made sense, seein' how this," He gestured to himself, "Wasn't strictly legal. So it was easier to keep it under wraps." He shrugged. "My body got used to it. If I get really worked up, or need it in a pinch, it's really easy for me to change, so I can control it mostly." Gajeel studied her as he finished, judging her expression.

Still, Levy was nothing but engrossed. All she wanted at this point was to know more about him, but she could tell by the final note in his tone that he was ready to switch the conversation to her and she had to oblige. If she wanted to keep him involved in their little game.

"So, my turn," He leaned forward again, "Where'd you get this stuff? Little big to be yours," Gajeel tugged at the shoulder of the jacket for emphasis.

Levy laughed a little, a sound that mesmerized the man more than he had expected. When was the last time he heard someone laugh? "That's not gonna be a satisfying use of your turn. They're just clothes that've been lying around, and they're not used anymore. It was about time I found a purpose for them." There was something distant in her expression, and a couple glances to the side left Gajeel still feeling unsatisfied with the answer. "The scarf is mine, though. It might keep you warm, or maybe you could use it for that," She gestured to his hair, "It keeps getting into your face."

Gajeel frowned, his red gaze moving to the article still sitting on the desk behind her. "There ain't nothin' wrong with my hair…" he mumbled. It wasn't like he had the luxury of doing anything with it.

 _A simple thank you would work…_ Levy thought but chose to let it pass. "Told you it wasn't a thrilling answer," She added, more than willing to go ahead with her own turn, "What's it like? When you change?"

Gajeel flinched unexpectedly. _She really…she just goes right for it. She's not even a little bit afraid._ His thoughts unexpectedly swirled, and he found himself growing more and more uncomfortable. _Why do you want to know? Why do you think you can just pry like that?_ He couldn't stop himself from clenching his teeth, a mask of darkness befalling his face. _I could fucking break you. So easily; I could ruin everything. You're so small and helpless, and alone. You have no power whatsoever here. Why would you think you can sit there across from me and pull at a monster's secrets and poke at my life, when one hand would fit around your neck?!_ His thoughts spiraled, his hands gripped the chair with a hold that made it creak in protest and he shut his eyes tightly, baring his teeth. In his mind's eye he imagined the dragon rising up, claws and teeth readied for her. _She's here to expose me. She's a threat; she's going to let them hurt me_. _I said never, I said no more, and she thinks she can-!_

"Gajeel?" The soft, careful voice broke him out.

A warm, gentle touch on one of his hands brought his wide-eyed gaze to his hands where she had rested one of hers, realizing then that she had gotten up and approached him. What nearly felt like the sensation of falling swept over him as he was grounded harshly to the present again.

 _What is she doing…_ He looked up to her, meeting a worried face. His hands immediately released from the chair and pulled from her touch like a shock had passed through them.

 _Did I cross a line?_ The guilty thought crossed Levy's mind and she took a step away from him to give him his space back, slowly bringing her hands back to her sides. "Do you quit?" She asked softly, concern heavy in her voice.

The care in her voice, in her face, was undeniable. It was all directed at him, even though his thoughts had just barreled into darkness: thoughts that now stirred up visceral shame and horror. _That's not what I am!_

"Do you want me to leave?" Levy tried again to get a response from him, because even though his internal monologue was in overdrive, they were still sitting in uncomfortable silence.

"No!" he exclaimed faster than he could think to restrain himself. She jumped a little, not expecting such a sharp break in the quiet. _Shit_ , he thought, clenching a fist and trying to reel himself back in. "N-no…" he added again more gently, trying to save himself even a little dignity. Gajeel breathed slow, steadying himself. "Sorry." He mumbled, "I doesn't really feel like anything when I change," he tried to just resume conversation, knowing how unnatural it was but unwilling to acknowledge his lapse in composure, "It's much harder to control myself when I change, though." His eyes moved now to the fresh bandage on her forehead. "Which is how ya go that," he pointed at it with a single finger. "I, I didn't actually want to hurt you," his tone dropped and he averted his gaze.

Levy smiled knowingly, "I didn't think so." Gajeel's eyes widened a little.

"No?" He asked.

"You keep throwing away your turns, Gajeel." Levy teased, amused by the sudden surprised and frustrated look on his face when he realized that was his question. "No, I don't think you mean to. I think you just wanted to be left alone," she said matter of factly. "You could very easily do more, I'm not naive."

 _She sees right through me, huh,_ he thought, somehow feeling that he was going to have to get used to it. In fact, he felt more like he _could_.

"Which leads me to my turn," Levy started, "Why did you, last night when you followed me I mean; why did you come?" She tripped over her words, trying to force them out. Her cheeks warmed despite herself.

His stomach dropped with the feeling of embarrassed exposure. "Quit," he nearly spit the word out before he could stop himself. _The hell. That's the cut off for you? Pathetic,_ he scolded himself. Warily, he watched her for a reaction. Would she push?

"Okay." Levy did look disappointed, but that was it. She was about to open her mouth to say something else, when something caught her eye. Casually, a small black animal strolled between them, approaching Gajeel and deftly leaping up to land on his shoulder. Levy blinked, confused that Gajeel barely moved, and actually seemed to welcome the newcomer. As it turned and perched comfortably on his shoulder, she could see clearly what it was. "A cat?" She mused aloud, looking at the black feline who merely watched her silently. A large scar ran beside his left eye.

Gajeel looked to the cat, humming in acknowledgment. "Panther Lily," he said simply. "Lily for short." The cat chirped, seemingly in response to his name. "He showed up not too long after the breakdown and I haven't been able to get rid of 'im." Gajeel smirked, and the cat whacked the back of the man's head with his tail indignantly.

Levy smiled brightly, having forgotten the end to their little game. This was a perfectly adequate consolation. "He's adorable!" She cooed, absolutely beside herself. The man who thought himself a monster, with a small cat as his companion. A cat whose presence he welcomed.

Gajeel frowned. "He ain't some cute kitten! This guy's a fighter," he defended, gesturing abruptly with his thumb to the feline.

"Of course of course, sorry," Levy answered, unable to remove her smile. "Can I say hi?" She asked, and Gajeel lifted a brow before looking to the cat.

"If he lets ya," he answered, and Levy approached again, bending a little to extend a hand to the cat for him to sniff. Her eyes were fixed on Lily to watch his response. Gajeel's eyes, however, were stuck on her. This close… _She still smells like lavender._ He couldn't stop his thoughts this time. Not like that first night. He tightened his grip on the chair again, only because his hands itched to reach up and touch her. _I could, so easily._ The proximity to her again, in such a short period of time, left a burning feeling in his palms that he didn't recognize or understand.

"I think he likes me!" Her voice snapped him out of his near trance again and he looked to his furred companion, who had leaned forward to smell the outstretched hand, and then headbutted it. Gajeel lifted his brows in surprise. _Good judge of character, huh Lily?_ He thought, unable to stop the small smile that crept onto his features. She shifted her hand to scratch the top of the cat's head, who leaned into it willingly.

"I'm glad you do have company," Levy added, and Gajeel cocked his head a little. "I can't imagine…being here by yourself so long," her gaze softened. "Being alone is…no one deserves it. Everyone needs a friend," she looked to him now, smiling softly. He stared at her, struck again by her words. There was more than what she was saying, and he got the feeling she wasn't speaking just for him. But there was also the implication of what she was offering him. _Hardly even know the meaning._

The moment was interrupted by a loud, brief chime from her bag. Gajeel jumped a little, glaring in the direction of her bag with a look of 'the hell is that?!' Levy pulled her hand back from the cat, and much to his dismay, turned to go over to her belongings and restore the distance between them.

"Sorry, that's my phone." Without much thought to it, she turned around to pull it out of her bag and see the message from Lucy. ' _I should be able to get out of work in about an hour, I'll be over as soon as I get off!'_ Levy frowned then, checking the time to realize that she had been here longer than she thought. Again. He, meanwhile, stared intently at the small, flat device with a screen that lit up brightly, displaying some photo he couldn't make out.

"That what phones look like, out there?" He inquired, a simple question for him but another painful one for Levy. _That's right…he's been out of the loop for six years_.

Levy held up the phone towards him, "Yeah, this is what the iPhones are now." Gajeel stood, cueing Lily to hop off his shoulder, and approached Levy to look at the device.

"They're huge," he remarked, bringing a laugh from Levy.

"Yeah, they've gradually gotten bigger but they can do a lot of stuff now," she added with a trailing tone that left them back in awkward silence.

Gajeel straightened up and looked to her now, "That message mean ya gotta get goin'?"

Levy looked guilty, but nodded, "Yeah. My friend is going to be coming to my house soon, and I need to be there when she comes over or she'll panic. I'm supposed to be bedridden."

"Ah," he responded simply, doing a piss poor job of hiding his disappointment. _Beg her to stay, why don't ya._ Gajeel shook his head quickly, and watched her move to leave. His gaze flicked to the dirty windows to gauge the light outside, pleased to see that she still had more than enough daylight. But, his thoughts still drifted to the night before and her _difficulties_ getting home, and the idea of her walking home alone again bothered him. _"_ I can take you back. In case you run into any vicious rabbits, or something," he teased to conceal the intent behind his offer, bringing an angry pout from Levy.

"I was fine y'know!" She shot back to defend herself while gathering her things. But really, after last night she'd be lying if she said she wouldn't prefer someone with her. "But…you can if it's not too much trouble," she added finally.

"I offered. The woods ain't no place for a shrimp like you," Gajeel responded with a smirk, leaning forward to catch her reaction.

"It's Levy!" She shot, angrily yanking her bag onto her back. Ignoring him for the moment, she crouched down to extend a hand to the cat in farewell, who approached willingly to rub against her. "I bet _he_ would use my name," she mumbled.

At this he could not help but chuckle. "He's a cat," Gajeel huffed, "Besides, shrimp is better," he commented, following her out of the building. "Ain't your parents worried about you disappearin' into the wilderness every day?" He asked, and he noticed a visible tension in the girl's shoulders. He quirked a brow curiously, wondering what nerve he'd hit.

"They wouldn't know," She replied as flippantly as possible, and after a moment understanding lit on Gajeel's face as he looked to the jacket he now wore. The jacket that was too big and too, masculine, to belong to her. _Way to go, jackass._ "Besides, I'm old enough to take care of myself!" Levy added, forcing a defiantly cheerful tone as she led the way through the forestry.

It was idle banter, taunts and comments exchanged back and forth between the two for most of the way. But more than that, it was _easy._ And it was comfortable. For Gajeel, it was almost heaven-sent. He couldn't remember anything from his life before, so he couldn't honestly say that he'd never experienced anything like this before. On the same token, Gajeel confidently felt that he had _never experienced anything like this before_. Every minute that he passed with her left him feeling lighter.

Levy stopped short of the treeline bordering her neighborhood, and out of consideration turned to walk along it, passing behind a few houses along the line to reach hers. Last night, even under the cover of darkness, he had not wanted to come out into the open.

Curious with her change in course, Gajeel continued to follow close and quietly study the way she moved. Levy, oblivious to his gaze, stopped just behind the small house she had pointed out the night before, giving Gajeel a closer look at it.

"This is it," she said finally, turning to face him with a grateful smile. She opened her mouth to thank him, but he interrupted her.

"I wanna see it," he declared bluntly, looking from the house to her, waiting for an answer. Levy was taken off guard, eyes wide and flustered. "It's only fair, right?" He added. His mouth beat his thoughts, and he couldn't fathom a logical reason why he would want to go in there, in the open, just to see inside and satisfy some kind of curiosity. It went against everything he swore by.

"You, oh, uhm," her mind raced, considering the option, considering just _what_ the option was, and trying to rationalize the best way to handle it. But before she realized what she was saying, "Okay." _What?! Levy!_ Her logical self shouted at her, but she had already turned to make sure she had a clear, unseen line to her back door, and headed forward before she could second guess herself more. Though he had asked, Gajeel was equally surprised that she had agreed.

Understandably, her pace was quick, and she was relieved that he matched it. _He's risking himself! Why would he, just to see where I live? I mean it_ is _fair like he said, but still!_ Despite the swirling thoughts she was already unlocking her back door and ushering him inside. Checking the outside once more, she closed her door and turned to look at him.

 _What did I just do._ The thought hit her, seeing him there in her kitchen. What was she supposed to do now, give him a tour? It was irresponsible, and ill-fashioned to have let a stranger, regardless of his origin, into her home. Alone. Rooted to the spot, she gripped uselessly at her backpack's straps. _Oh god, he's in my house. Why did I say yes._ She started to panic, watching him expectantly.

But, the edge wore off her nerves when he looked to the side, and she caught sight of his face. There was a curious, almost apprehensive crease in his brow. His eyes wandered slowly, carefully, and his fingers moved absentmindedly. _He looks surprised. Overwhelmed even,_ she thought. It made sense, considering how he had been living for the last six years.

He leaned a little, like he meant to move in one direction, but stopped himself. His gaze went on another trail, trying to take everything in. Gajeel inhaled the scent of wood, lavender, and old paper. He turned his head again and this time looked back directly at her with a face full of timidness, curiosity, and most of all: _can I?_

Levy blinked for a moment, before nodding very slowly and giving him the go-ahead. With this the man finally moved into her living room and methodically moved about the space, trying to take in every detail. He counted, one, two, three book cases stuffed with texts new and old. Some were worn almost paws the point of recognition, others were in better shape. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that she had so many.

The house was markedly quiet, just as much so as his own abode. Quieter than he had expected it to be for someone so warm, and small. Still, this quite was different from his. In her quiet there was serenity that filled him with envy and a touch of awe that something like this even existed. In his quiet lurked demons, paranoia, and an ever present danger that kept him from a moment's peace.

Her home was a reminder to him, or rather a discovery of everything he'd been closed off from. This is what homes were, this is what a real roof and four walls were.

With that thought he looked to his left down a short hallway that led to a closed door. _An empty room,_ he noted. To his right was another hallway with an open door through which light, and a little bit of a breeze from an open window, flowed. He turned heading towards the hall with open door. Gajeel was halfway into the hallway before Levy caught up, finally finding her voice and control over her body. She rushed to him, putting a hand on his arm that turned him abruptly to her, more from shock of the contact than her own force.

"Wait! That's my–" There was the sudden sound of keys in the front door that cut her off, followed by a click, and then a voice that filled the quiet house. Both of them turned still as stone as Levy remembered the text message she got not long ago, cursing herself for being so distracted.

"Levy~! I found the cat ears, _and_ a tail!"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:Here's the next one! Mostly tweaking Gajeel's reactions to things here, no real added interactions yet. I know it seems like a lot isn't really changing but again, this is an overall edit. A remaster. I am fixing clunky sentences, changed emotional reactions to what I feel fit the situations better and flesh out character developments more.

* * *

Red eyes shot down to her in a panic. The sound of the opening door in the living room made him flinch suddenly, every muscle going rigid. Slowly, his glare rose to look past her and in the general direction of the threat. Initially, Gajeel took a quick step forwards, trying to put himself past Levy and ultimately, between she and the perceived danger. It was natural, like it was the only thing he could think to do. He was barely able to hear anything over the pounding of his heart in his ears, and Levy could swear that a gray, iron-hued pigment started to spread across his face as he bared his fangs in a silent snarl.

In a panic, Levy shot in front of him and stopped him with two tiny palms planted firmly against his chest, pushing him with everything she had into her bedroom. _Oh my god this is so not oka_ y. Surprised by her sudden urgency, Gajeel gave in to her otherwise ineffectual shove.

"Just a second, Lu! I'm changing, you can wait in the kitchen for a minute," she called out, pushing him through her doorway shortly before she heard the blonde walk into the living room.

"Ooohkay, you know we've changed in front of each other before, right?" Lucy called back. Gajeel shot Levy another look, but she refused to meet his stare.

"What the hell are you doing?" He snarled at her under his breath, frustrated with the face she was holding him off from the intruder. "Someone is breaking in, get out of my way…!" He hissed.

"I'm trying to keep you from getting caught, now hush!" She whispered back, closing her door behind her as quietly as she could. Right now she had only one clear option. "That's Lucy. Best friend, has a key, it's Halloween, I'm going as a cat and she's bringing my costume." She mumbled quickly, abashed. When her scent finally carried to them, he recognized it from the first night the three had invaded his keep. Then, then he felt outnumbered. This wasn't a threat for Levy, it was a threat for him only. She knew them.

As her eyes focused on the window, the ONLY route of escape, Gajeel seemed to catch up and grumble again. He took one large step to come between her and the window, blocking her view. He curled his lip in a grimace, "Does it look like I'm going to fit through _that_?" He hissed, tone as hushed as he could make it, "You don't have another doorway in here?"

The blue-haired girl gripped her hands together and slowly, apologetically, shook her head. "Levy! What is taking you so long?" Lucy's voice ung through the house, sounding a little closer than the kitchen.

 _If I put him in the closet she'll find him, that's the first place she'll go. If I put him in the bathroom she'll find him, he won't fit under the bed definitely not out the window_. The panic on Levy's face as she looked up to Gajeel did nothing to ease his own. That together with her confirmation that there was no other way out of the room instead did everything to skyrocket his flight reflex.

"It looks like we don't have a choice but to try," Levy mumbled, rushing to her window to slide it up as far as it would go. She gave it one more shove for good measure, then turned to face the dragon. Frantically, she gestured for him to get out.

Gajeel stood there for a moment, staring at her like she has just set his world on fire and barred the door. She had closed off the exits and poked a hole in the wall and said that was his way out.

He really had no other option, and he strode to the window and put his head through. His shoulders caught immediately and he tried to shove, but a crack from the frame forced the dragon to withdraw sharply. He growled deeply, partially cursing the woman for being so open with her home, and entirely himself for being the _idiot_ that wanted to go inside. _What the hell was I thinking?_ He berated himself. He could force himself through, easily break through the wall, but that was just as good as walking out and turning iron in front of the blonde intruder.

Feeling that he was making no progress, he gestured to it with both hands. 'I told you so' was written all over his face. Which then quickly gave way to the frantic expression akin to a trapped animal when he realized his one real escape was null. His chest heaved, his eyes darted from the bedroom door to the unusable window, then to the woman in front of him. The woman who trapped him. He took a sharp step backwards from her, betrayal and fear written all over his face as his stomach dropped to his feet. He was staring discovery in the eyes and for him there was not a single thing more terrifying. _If that girl sees me she's gonna run screaming like before. She's gonna announce it to the whole neighborhood and they're all going to see me and know who I am and everything I've tried to keep hidden all this time is going to be right in the open they're going to turn me into that_ _ **animal**_ _all over again_ **.** _He's going to find me. He's going to know I'm here._ Gajeel's eyes darkened significantly as he regarded the tiny blunette, every muscle tensing in his frame. _ **She**_ _trapped me here, she fucking knew her friend was coming and she trapped me in this house. An–_

Gajeel's eyeswent wide as warm hands, tiny tiny hands, placed themselves on either side of his face. In his spiral, he hadn't even noticed her approach yet again. Instinctively, he leaned forward into the touch before he realized how his body was reacting, and every angry, terrifying voice in his head, every shred of doubt disappeared in an instant. Yet again she had so simply, maybe even unknowingly, dispelled his darkness.

Rubies met with warm brown and a level of concern that was all but unknown to him. She was on the very tips of her toes trying to reach him, stretching her arms just to hold his face and bring him back from the dark. His entire body relaxed and his eyes closed again for several moments. A deep breath filled his chest with the scent of sweet lavender, and on the exhale he opened his eyes again, pleading with his only savior at this moment. The words were unbearably difficult to force out, but to her, he felt they were safe, "Help me."

For Levy, he didn't even have to speak. It was written clear as day all over his face. "Breathe, Gajeel. It's okay," she said, her voice so soft and gentle that he couldn't fathom it being directed to him. Again, his name slipping past her lips so carefully disarmed him. The calm that washed over the dragon with that voice left him feeling like he could listen to it every day for the rest of his life. "Trust me?" she whispered, knitting her brows together.

 _Trust me._

A voice in his head repeated the words, in a terrifyingly familiar tone. _Trust me!_ The voice-a memory-was a command. It so starkly contrasted from the quiet plea that actually gave him a choice, that he found himself able to quickly separate the past trauma from this present moment. Still, his reflexive, self-preserving sense cried 'no,' over and over. 'You can't!' it said, 'Never!' But beyond all the noise, he opened his mouth and…

"Yes."

It slipped out so easily, confidently, and for once he wasn't beating himself for saying it. Because, _yes_ , he trusted her. Call it the lack of interactive experience, but it didn't matter how short a time he had known her. In all of her blue and yellow kindness, in every one of her visits and her fearlessness in the face of what he was, he trusted her. _Keep me conscious, shrimp._

The woman smiled gently, and quickly released his face. Gajeel found himself ready to protest the lack of contact, but he could already see the gears in the blunette's head turning, and he wasn't about to interrupt her if it could lead to his escape.

Levy bounced a bit on her feet, eyes darting, before throwing together another half-assed plan. "I'm gonna get her into the kitchen. When she's not looking, I need you to run across the living room to the other hall. The master bedroom has a set of sliding doors that lead out to the back. _Please_ don't touch anything and don't ask questions. Not now," she whispered quickly, and didn't wait for his approval before she flitted out of the room, swinging her door partially shut behind her and leaving the man alone with his disbelief.

And not a minute too soon, because she found herself face to face with her eager, blonde friend. "Lucy!" she all but shouted, taking Lucy off guard. "Before we go, I need you to help me with something."

"Okay?" Lucy answered as Levy all but pushed her into the kitchen, "Why are you acting so weird?"

"I have a headache," Levy quipped, "And I ran out of aspirin and can't reach the top of the drug cabinet in the kitchen for more," she tacked on, almost impressed at her story-weaving were it not for the fact she was trying to sneak a man out of her house. A man that could turn into metal and had scared the life out of the very friend she was distracting.

Her eyes went to Levy's marred hairline, "Oh, your head," Lucy replied. "You can't drink if you take any," she advised.

"I shouldn't anyway, knowing the boys the cops will probably show," Levy answered, pushing Lucy to the cabinet and trying to angle her as subtly as she could with her back to the living room. "And I'm pretty sure his father thinks I'm the responsible one, so I'm not going to ruin that."

"Yeah yeah. How do you function being this short?" Lucy asked, "Here, wear the ears for a second." Without waiting for an okay from Levy, she planted the black, furry headband on the blunette and turned, stepping on tiptoe to look as best she could on the top shelf. "Where is it?"

Levy, meanwhile, glanced into the living room, seeing Gajeel poke his head around the corner and look directly at her, the angry scowl still etched on his face. It, however, faltered when he saw the ridiculous ears that the girl now sported. "It's up there just look close," Levy answered while maintaining eye contact with Gajeel. She impatiently cocked her head for him to 'move it!' with a very unamused frown on her face. Levy could see the laughter pricking at his eyes, wanting to say ANYTHING about her appearance.

Regardless, he needed no second push and moved across the room surprisingly quietly to disappear into the other hall. Instant relief flooded Levy, and she looked back to Lucy.

"Oh wait, here it is," Levy said suddenly, pulling a bottle off the bottom shelf. "I'll wait to take it, just in case. Sorry I must've missed it."

Lucy dropped down, frowning a bit. "Dolt," she teased, "That was a waste of time we could be spending _getting ready_."

 _It definitely wasn't a waste_ , thought Levy. "Sorry sorry, let's just get ready. You can raid my closet and do my face paint, I know you're dying to."

Seemingly forgetting all about everything that had just happened, Lucy beamed brightly. "Yes!"

* * *

The sight of her, standing there panicked as could be in a pair of cat ears almost alleviated the severity of his situation, and he was grateful for the shred of levity.

Still, Gajeel knew he couldn't linger and once safely in the unused room, he collapsed back against the door, trying desperately to calm his breaths. The adrenaline was coursing through him and his heart was in his ears. It took every ounce of his strength not to change right then and there. _Not here. Not in her house. I can't trust myself like that here.._. It was like a fire in his chest, the burning creeping through him and threatening to consume him. He hunched forward and a clenched fist pressed against his temple. "Stop," he hissed to himself, giving his skull three sharp raps to try and reel his emotions back in.

His exit was clear, the evening light filtering through, but he didn't want to rush out just yet. Not until he felt in control again In an effort to distract himself enough to come down from an emotional ten, he took a moment to look around the room.

The space was clean, but it smelled as musty as the jacket initially had. But it did not look entirely unlived in. The closet was full of clothes still, and pictures hung on the walls. He stopped to look at a collection of four different photos hanging by one another.

Two pictures, one staged and one looking like it was at a birthday party, showed two adults. _Parents?_ They both looked like kind people, gentle faces. The man was surprisingly larger than the woman, and he could see where the girl got her height. Or lack of it, that is. As well as her blue hair. In the first two photos, Levy barely looked like she was older than five, her face lit with a child's joy and her blue hair even wilder than it was now.

In the next two photos she looked several years older than the others, with the fourth looking like it was the most recent of the two: A teenage Levy and the other blue-haired woman had their faces pressed together to fit in the picture they seemed to take themselves. In both these, it was just the adult woman with Levy, and no sign of anyone else. While looking around the house earlier, he had noted several framed pictures of Levy with multiple people. Mostly the girl with long blonde hair.

Gajeel looked around the room one more time, hearing the female voices outside move to the opposite side of the house. His heartbeat had finally slowed down enough to let him breathe evenly. The dragon couldn't help but feel entirely dissatisfied with the manner of their 'farewell' this time around, but his priorities were sorted. He went to the doors, flipping them unlocked and sliding them open as quietly as he could. Closing them in the same manner behind him, he gave the back yard and the tree line a quick sweep with his eyes, before bolting into the forestry and disappearing back to safety.

* * *

"Lucy, if this tail catches fire I swear."

"Would you stop worrying about that?" Lucy shot back, bouncing against her friend on the sidewalk. "We look adorable," she smiled brightly, poking at a pair of mouse ears on her head.

Levy glanced from her friend to herself, taking in the black attire, accentuated by the ears and a long, curled tail that fit at her waist. _Just put on a smile and try to have fun_ , she told herself, trying to pull her thoughts from _the incident_.

Levy immediately pushed those thoughts as far as she could for now as they came up on Natsu's home, already crawling with costumed people and loud music. Levy could see the bright orange glow of a flame in the back, and she laughed at herself a little. "I bet he couldn't wait to get that started."

Lucy laughed in return, "You know him." The two of them walked along the outside of the building and headed straight for the backyard. The sight they found struck Levy as nothing but typical, as she threw a knowing look to Lucy, who conspicuously avoided it. Natsu, with red scales painted in various spots across his body and some makeshift horns on his head, was zealously tossing branches into the fire pit and reveling in each burst of cinders and smoke.

"YOU'RE GONNA BURN THE HOUSE DOWN!" The black-haired boy, wearing nothing but swim trunks and a loose fitting swim cap shouted frantically. _How predictable._ Levy laughed at his characteristically _minimal_ attire. "Damnit, Natsu, you're on thin ice with the old man already and I can't afford rent by myself!"

Natsu paid his roommate no mind at all, throwing his arms up victoriously and reveled in the scene, "FIRE CANNOT KILL A DRAGON, GRAY!" He shouted back. Which only incensed Gray further, and the bickering continued.

"That's your crush," Levy pointed out flatly with a single finger pointed in his direction, earning a shove from Lucy, "He is so drunk already."

"You want something to drink or not?" The blonde asked, deflecting the conversation elsewhere.

Levy sighed in defeat, having not taken anything for her fictitious headache. "Sure, surprise me. I'll supervise," she gestured her head at the boys around the fire, laughing lightly. Lucy smiled and whirled away, her tail trailing behind her.

"Levyyyy!" Natsu's voice snatched her attention as the painted, excited boy bounced over to her. "Back from the dead!" he added, oblivious to the nervous tension that took over the small girl's frame. "How's your head?" he asked, rather than shouted at her. Which she appreciated, given that she wanted as little attention as possible drawn to it.

The blunette smiled appreciatively, "It's fine, barely feel it anymore."

"Great! Then it's time to party!" And he was shouting again, just as Lucy returned with two red cups.

"Rum 'n coke. I poured light for you," Lucy offered a knowing smile, fully aware of Levy's profound lack of tolerance. A grateful nod answered her, and Levy took her cup.

It did feel nice to be back among her friends, even if she typically took a quieter, observing role during events like these. Still, having the ease of normal interaction, and being able to be distracted from her thoughts was pleasant. Having a certain red-eyed individual swirling in her brain had become moderately tiring, and she wanted to stop fretting over the extremely close call they'd had this evening. The alcohol, light though it was, certainly helped with every aspect of this matter. The light buzz was also nothing to complain about.

The night proceeded as she expected it to, as it always does. Gray and Natsu were wrestling, albeit later in the evening than she expected, and both Lucy and Juvia spectated rather intently. Levy couldn't help but laugh to herself, and couldn't decide what was more fun to watch: the boys' antics or the girls' faces. Unlike Lucy, Juvia was plenty vocal about her admiration for Gray, who tried to deflect as much as he could.

Amazingly, no one caught on fire and somehow they had managed to avoid angering the neighbors enough to have the police called. _Thankfully. Igneel is terrifying when he's angry_. The night progressed, pieces of costumes and trash were left behind as more and more people called it a night and the music became a background hum. Levy had settled in a fold out chair by the dimmer fire, sipping on her third beverage of the night, eyes half-lidded with liquor and staring into the flames.

Lucy, far more buzzed than she, plopped down on the seat beside her. "I told you~" she drawled, straightening her ears. Or at least trying to.

"Yes, you were right Lucy," Levy answered complacently, "No one caught on fire. Not even Natsu." A pleased smile crossed her friend's flushed face. "It was nice to see everyone like this again," she added, smiling to her friend. Lucy nodded, agreeing with her, before a thoughtfulness slipped uninhibited onto her features. Levy tilted her head curiously, beckoning for her friend to divulge.

"You're doing okay, right Levy?" she asked, trying to hush her tone. Lucy's eyes searched hers a moment, before she looked away. "I know… what we said. That we wouldn't talk about it. But… I can't really get rid of it…"

The look on her friend's face struck Levy with heavy guilt. As successful as she had been keeping them at bay for the night, her thoughts finally returned to the dragon. Here was her best friend, looking like she was still battling the trauma of that night, and Levy had invited the very person responsible into her home mere hours ago. They were within the same walls together. And for a terrifying moment Levy imagined what would have happened if Lucy discovered him, and recognized who he really was and realized Levy had been seeing him. Or visiting him. Not seeing him...

The blunette's eyes fell to her lap, and her friend misinterpreted the gesture. "You can't either, huh? I mean, what we saw was… awful. And you, you were there alone with it."

"Hush," Levy cut her off when someone approached. Seeing that it was only Natsu, she relaxed. "It was, Lucy. And I know it was bad but, don't you think it's weird that he didn't hurt us?" She tried to push her friend's thoughts in a different direction.

Natsu plopped into the ground next to them, face paint smudged hilariously. A sudden seriousness pervaded his similarly flushed face when he realized what they were talking about. "You can't get over it either, eh Lucy?" He mumbled, rocking a little from side to side as he rested his hands on his knees. "I've been fired up about it since. Can't stop thinkin' 'bout what happened."

The blonde hummed and nodded her head, then looked back to Levy. "That thing came for us like a bat out of hell. It tried to kill us. And it's still out there." She shifted uneasily, glancing into the darkness beyond the backyard as though she expected the beast to emerge at any moment.

Levy bit her lip, wanting to say so much. She wanted to tell them how wrong they were, how much they didn't understand. That he was a person, not an 'it.' He was a person and he had a cat and he was more than a beast in the dark. He was just as a afraid of them, maybe even more, as they were of him. All he wanted was to stay safe, and to maybe have someone to talk to.

She couldn't say any of that, not a word of it. Not without betraying the trust of a new friend. _I'm not doing any better by hiding this from them either,_ her stomach twisted in her conflict. "But Lucy, don't you think he _could_ have killed us, killed _me_ if he really wanted? I was right there outside, for hours," Levy pressed, trying her best to sound simply skeptical. It was the best defense she could offer without giving too much.

Lucy seemed to think for a minute, and Natsu just tried to stay upright. "You got real lucky," he mused. "We thought we lost you."

"Maybe, maybe it wasn't luck. Nothing was stopping him from coming after me. I don't know. I think there's more to it," Levy continued, trying with everything in her buzzed capabilities to keep herself even-toned. "We were the ones that went there. He didn't hunt us down; we hunted him down, really."

Lucy furrowed her brow at her friend, and with this Levy realized she had reached as far as she could go and was crossing into suspicion. "You're too nice," she finally said, the alcohol clearly stunting how much she could have said. Or could have read into Levy's words. The blunette was more than thankful for this fact.

"I just think we should still keep it to ourselves. It could cause way more trouble if we say anything. To anyone," Levy's eyes flicked to Natsu, their resident big mouth.

He grimaced, looking wholly offended. "Why are you lookin' at me? I can keep a secret!" He protested, and Levy had to hush him again.

"You can't hold water and you know it," Lucy mumbled, crossing her arms, "I'm amazed Gray doesn't know yet."

"I out of anyone have the most to lose if I get in any sort of trouble," Natsu pouted, crossing his arms and looking off to the side with puffed cheeks. "You've got no faith in me," a drunken mumble that thankfully brought a needed smile to the girls' faces.

"You're probably right, Levy," Lucy conceded, ignoring the displeased boy at their feet. "Let's let it go."

"Well, good thing Halloween is just about over. We can put the spooky behind us," Levy offered an amused smile, trying to direct her tipsy friend in a better direction. The small laugh she got was a success. "Speaking of…we should really be going. It's late."

Lucy leaned over, plopping her head on Levy's shoulder and sighed. "Okayy~," She replied, "I might need help." Immediately, Natsu perked and directed his gaze to the blonde.

"I can walk you home," he offered, obviously trying to sound casual. To someone sober, it would have been an obvious failure. Fortunately for him, the intoxicated blonde was none the wiser. Levy glanced to Lucy, wondering how thankful she was for the already flushed cheeks of hers. She smiled warmly, happy for her friend.

"I'm a lot better off than she is. I can get home fine," Levy added quickly, wanting to give her friend the moment. She could see the protest start to rise in Natsu, when she raised a hand, "I live a handful of houses down, literally. Lucy lives the other way. Go, walk home drunkles here," Levy picked herself up, bobbing her head in Lucy's direction.

Lucy gave Levy another knowing look, and for once looked appreciative of Levy's little hints and teasing. The blunette extended a hand to help her friend to her feet, before turning her over to Natsu. There was a quick, sharp look of protectiveness that flashed across her face as a warning to the dragon-boy, and his wide 'wait no, I would never!' eyes gave her all the answer she needed before waving to them both and making her exit with a smile.

Only now, away from the bonfire, did she realize how chilled the air had become. A small shiver spurred her to quicken her pace back home. _It feels like it's going to snow soon,_ she thought, looking upwards and catching sight of her breath in the night air. The sky was a dark, faded pink: thick cloud cover reflecting nearby Magnolia's city lights.

 _I hope he's warm enough,_ The thought came out of nowhere, but at this point it didn't surprise her. _It's not like it's his first winter…_ A deep frown fell onto her face, recalling his attire _before_ she brought anything for him. Maybe it was the alcohol, but her eyes burned a little with tears. He had more now than he had in the past, but still… _still._ The idea of him with nothing, with how bad winters got here, was devastating.

The yellow porch light was a beacon of relief to the freezing woman who all but ran the rest of the way to her front door. Levy fumbled with her keys, fingers almost numb from the cold, and all but rushed inside. _Freezing!_ She closed the door quickly behind her, incredibly relieved to find herself in the warmer and well-lit room. The blunette pulled off the cat ears, more than relieved to be rid of them, and dropped them and her keys on the small table by her doorway.

As she lifted her watery eyes to the room in front of her, Levy recoiled backwards and her back impacted the door with a hard thud. Immediately she sobered up and her heart pounded in her ears until her mind registered the glint of light off a body of metal.

"G-Gajeel?!" She called out to the man, whose hands were shoved in the pockets of the pants she had given him. A shameful gaze was fixed on the floor beside him and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. His hair was somehow even more of a mess than before, and there was an emotion on his face she had a hard time reading. "Gajeel, what are you–" An anxious gaze rose quickly to meet hers that halted the words in her throat and brought a tightness in her chest. His eyes weren't pleading, they were _begging_. If she didn't know better, she'd say he was looking at her like she was his only salvation. Like she was water and he was a man that had been stranded in the desert.

"Can I… can I stay here?"


	7. Chapter 7

_Calm down…calm down._ The man paced noisily back and forth in the basement, both hands grasping the back of his neck. His stomach was twisting and flipping over backwards with unbearable anxiety, and his thoughts hadn't stopped storming since he got back to this godforsaken place. Suffering such a close call, regardless of the revelations he had come to in Levy's presence, had pushed him into a very dark place that he was trying desperately to crawl out from.

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened to bring out this reaction, but it was certainly the closest call he'd had yet. That was the first time he had almost been discovered so close to town, and been nigh powerless to escape the corner he had been backed into. It opened the floodgates to the flashbacks that wracked his body with phantom pains. His muscles spasmed, his hands flexed and unflexed, and his face contorted into a vicious grimace.

 _Dose him again._

 _Measure the response time._

 _What's the threshold? Good, go past it._

 _He's not dead yet?_

 _Record all of it, I want full conversion this time._

 _Dose him again._

 _How soon can we begin field trials?_

 _He's still fighting it?_

 _Leave him in the chamber, we'll stamp out that indignation soon enough._

 _Stop them! Kill them if you must, do not let any of them escape! I'll not lose such valuable data!_

Gajeel slammed an iron fist with immeasurable force into the wall next to him, creating a large crater. A snarl ripped from his chest as grey scales appeared on his arms, traveling up to his shoulders, spreading across his back, and finally reaching his face. The spread felt like wildfire, setting every nerve ablaze and leaving him hyper-aware of every sensation. Red eyes glowed wildly in the darkness, fangs grit painfully with a guttural snarl.

Amidst the voices roaring in his head, drowning almost everything out, the man's voice from before returned. _I'll be back for you. It's only a matter of time._

A roar tore from his throat as he swung his claws into the wall next to him, tearing through it like paper. "Damn it!" He swung a kick next, impacting something else that he didn't care to identify. "Damn it all!"

He doubled over, hands now moving to his skull and tangling in his hair, desperate to hold onto anything that might ground him. _I can't breathe_. Another growl rumbled in his chest and he raised himself again, forcing himself to walk forward. _I need air. I can't be here. I need air._ Desperately, the iron dragon ascended the stairs and forced himself across the large lobby towards the exit. The cold breeze already wafting in burned his throat as he inhaled greedily, dying for any sort of relief.

Gajeel stopped short of the exit, a red and white object catching his eye. On the desk, where it had been left not long ago, was the red and white chevron scarf that a certain blunette had brought for him. Panting at this point, he stumbled over to the article and picked it up to bring it straight to his face. Another sharp inhale, and he felt a shred of relief.

He thought then to the blue-haired woman and closed his eyes, trying his best to picture her as clearly as possible. He tried everything he could to draw on that tiny creature to ease even a fraction of his agony.

The girl had started to materialize in his mind, and he tried his best to recall every detail about the person who, in a matter of days, had become what he clung to in his darkest hour. He thought of the accepting smile and the rosy plumpness of her cheeks the followed. The honey-brown eyes, curious and without fear, and the way they peeks through her wild cerulean locks from time to time. He tried to pull at as much as he could, the sound of her voice even, but try as he may, it still wasn't enough. He was an artist without the skill, and she was the unearthly, phantom-like creature that he couldn't possibly recreate.

The second he started to waver, the image was dashed away just as quickly by the image of another: the man whose voice filled his head. The sinister, mustached smile sent chills through his body asa strangled cry fell from his lips and his hands formed fists in the scarf. _You think you deserve to cling to her? Being what you are?_ He could imagine that man saying it, _spitting_ it at him. _You don't deserve her. You're a monster. You'll be the death of her. Just like the others._ She slipped from him like smoke, dissipated by his nightmares.

"No! Shut up!" the dragon screamed, slamming his knuckles now into the side of his skull. _To hell with what I fucking deserve,_ the final thought rang through, and he was out of the building before he had the time to convince himself otherwise.

He didn't even have to tell himself where to go, his body moved independent of his thoughts and the path to his salvation was burned into his muscle memory. Even in the dark he moved nimbly, barely chipping trees with his iron frame as he weaved through.

Gajeel's heels dug into the earth as he skid to a stop at the edge of the trees, focusing his gaze on the small house, barely lit by the street lights beyond and a small lamp inside. He could see no movement inside, but after being sure that the way was clear, he proceeded anyway. Gajeel first went to the doors into the girl's kitchen that she had taken him through earlier that day. The handle stuck, and his heart sunk. _Where is she?_ He wondered, trying to see anything inside and tapping at the glass with a metal finger. "Shrimp…!" He hissed, hoping she'd hear him without having to give himself away to the whole neighborhood. He could hear nothing within, and both curiosity and concern grew within him. He could have forced his way inside but...what if the blonde was there? Or if someone else heard? No… that wasn't an option.

The dragon's eyes glanced to the side, looking to the other set of doors from the bedroom he'd escaped through. With a shred of hope, he moved to those next, and felt relief wash over him as the handle gave way and he was able to enter.

Within, the quiet was even more obvious, but even so the scent that wafted throughout already worked to clear his head. He followed it out into the living room and stood still again, breathing deep. He was certain she wasn't here, even though it was dark outside. _Where would she have gone? It's too dark out there for…_ He allowed his thoughts to trail off, sure that he'd catch her scent in the woods if she had been out there.

He jumped, his attention turning sharply to the door in front of him when he heard a key scratching at the lock. Gajeel tensed, until he saw a flash of blue when the door opened.

* * *

"Can I… can I stay here?"

Levy stood there for a moment, still trying to gather herself with the fact that he was standing there in front of her. This was partially her fault, letting him come inside in the first place and showing him where she lived. But she still didn't quite expect him to just let himself inside. His demeanor, however, told her this wasn't some curious check-in. Her eyes wandered then to the scarf he clutched in one metal fist and she tilted her head curiously.

"Just…for the night," he added to try and eke and answer out of her. It almost sounded like he was out of breath, and there was a profound weakness in his voice. "I can't… I can't be there, tonight." His eyes pleaded, _begged_ for her to say anything at all. He wasn't saying it, but he was here because he needed her. More than anything else on this earth, he needed the blue-haired girl to just let him be near her. Because if Gajeel was certain of one thing, it was that she made everything else go away. She quieted the self-loathing, the flashbacks, and everything that haunted him in the dark. He had gotten his clearest taste of that earlier, and it was the most profound thing to happen him in what he could remember of his life.

Still, Levy did not respond, and her persistent stare at the dragon in her living room didn't waver. _He does look like a dragon, like this._ In the lit room, every scale and every detail to his altered form was clearer to her than it had been before, right down to the dangerous claws he now bore. He looked so much like himself, but not, and the intense stare that she found herself under was entirely unnerving.

There was finally a dramatic roll of his shoulders and a grimace finally spread onto his face as he leaned backwards. "Tch!" he huffed, spinning on his heel to leave. The refusal seemed perfectly clear, and his stomach twisted with a wave of nausea. "Forget it." _What was I thinking, that she was just going to–_

"Wait!" Levy finally cried, rushing forward to grab him by the wrist before he could react, his scaled skin firm and cold in her grasp. Gajeel turned quickly to look down at her, then to her hand that barely made it halfway around his wrist. "I'm sorry. I'm uhm…" she released him quickly after she realized he might not appreciate the contact, and rubbed the back of her neck, "I drank a little tonight. And I wasn't expecting…" she trailed off, looking up to him now. He was watching her intently, hanging on her every word.

 _Ah, so that's what that is. She smells like smoke and...what is it, rum?_ It was strange to him to recognize the smell, but have no real memories of what rum was actually like. His memories often led him on fruitless chases for the source of a fact he shouldn't know, but in recent years he learned to not waste the time over it.

"Yes, you can stay here. Please do. The couch is open…" There was a small uneasiness in her voice, a nervous flush on her face that didn't escape Gajeel.

"Relax, shrimp," his tone was soft, gentle even. "I may look like this but I ain't an animal. I won't go anywhere but there," he angled his head at the furniture. "I ain't gonna hurt ya," he added, his voice a little weaker than before.

Levy gave him a slightly surprised look, but eventually smiled genuinely at him. Still, the questions she wanted to ask burned within her. The initial discomfort that was seeping from him moments earlier had started to wane, but there still was the matter of why he was back here in the first place. Especially after the close call with Lucy. She remembered that he had said he changed often at night out of habit, but she couldn't help feeling that there was another reason this time.

Either way, her curiosity was not the most important factor here. "Just a second," she went back into her bedroom and rummaged in her closet for a moment before she pulled out a large, pale blue comforter and grabbed a pillow from her bed. She hugged the blanket and pillow to her as she returned to the living room and handed it over to him, "I hope this is okay."

The smell of lavender and a sense of calm flooded his senses. Gajeel nodded his head and hummed, glancing at the couch. It wasn't huge, but it would do. It was still more than he ever slept on, and he was grateful to be out of the cold. "Thanks, black cat," he forced a fanged smirk, trying to make her feel a little less uncomfortable. The blush that flared up on her face when she remembered her attire was satisfying in more ways than one, "Gihe!"

Levy had to admit she was pleased to see him smile and laugh a little, but the embarrassment spurred her to change the subject and do anything she could to detract from it. "Can I, uh, can I get you anything?" she offered, unsure of what else to say. _Of course this happens when I'm dressed like a fool._

Gajeel seemed to mull the question over as he took a seat gingerly on the couch. He bounced a little, testing the softness, and was still surprised by how comfortable it was. He set the bedding down next to him and his eyes studied her as he leaned forward with his hands on his knees. He looked at her in such a way that made her squirm, like he was searching for something from her. "Could you just talk? About anythin'," he finally said, averting his eyes again as his lack of confidence constricted his chest. _You're pathetic. Could you look like any more of a fool in front of her?_ He focused on her face still, trying to quiet the doubts and intrusive thoughts.

Levy blinked in confusion for a moment, but the unease in the room was more than evident despite both their efforts. There was something in his face that was similar to how he had looked earlier today, and a level of understanding finally settled in her. Right now, Levy didn't need answers, because he needed her. And it didn't matter how long she had known him, or how little she knew him rather. She wasn't going to leave a new friend in his state.

Wordlessly, Levy turned and walked over to one of her many bookcases. Brown eyes sifted over the titles, before she settled on a thin book. As she pulled it out, it revealed a well-worn cover, and darkened pages that told of its age and use. She next went by the couch, flipped on the small lamp at the end table, and went to turn off the main light, leaving them both in a softer glow. She settled finally on the floor near the couch, leaning her back on an ottoman. To try and maintain what she thought he needed for comfort, she kept her distance.

His red eyes never left her as she went about her devices, and he tried to figure out what she was up to. Watching her, with whiskers still painted on her face and a tail at her waist, was a good start to easing his nerves. But even more than that was her relaxed body language and comfortable manner with a man like him in such close, safe proximity to her.

Levy crossed her legs, leaned back, and opened the book to thumb through the pages. A small hum rose in her, before she settled on a page.

"I have been one acquainted with the night.

I have walked out in rain – and back in rain.

I have out-walked the furthest city light.

I have looked down the saddest city lane.

I have passed by the watchman on his beat

And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain."

Gajeel raised his brows and tilted his head, not just at the fact that she had started to read to him (because really, that wasn't surprising), but at the overwhelming softness in her voice. The small smile that played at her face while she read filled him with warmth, and he felt the tension slowly leave his body as he leaned back into the soft couch while she continued. Her finger, sliding across the paper as she read started tingles down his spine and an overwhelming sense of relaxation.

"I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet

When far away an interrupted cry

Came over houses from another street,

But not to call me back or say good-bye;

And further still at an unearthly height,

A luminary clock against the sky

Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.

I have been one acquainted with the night."

As Levy concluded, she looked up to Gajeel to check his reaction. His head was tilted, eyes half-lidded and fixed on her, and he was completely reclined into the furniture. "What is that?" he asked quietly.

Levy smiled a bit, noticing the drastic change in his disposition. "Robert Frost." Gajeel furrowed his brow and cocked his head a little, bringing a giggle from Levy, "He's a writer. A poet actually," she explained, "and his poems have always been very calming to me, I thought they might be good to you now." Another smile, and Gajeel relaxed even further.

"I don't know," Levy began, slowly choosing her words, "I may not know what was done to you, or what happened to you tonight but…I want to help you," she paused again, making sure her words could linger, "Thank you. For letting me."

 _I didn't really have to say much, did I? She already knew,_ he thought, a sigh escaping him. The iron dragon leaned over, settling onto his side on the couch and propping his head up on his palm. "Could ya read another?" He asked softly. A pleased smile spread on her face and she nodded, flipping through the pages with purpose. She knew exactly which piece to read next.

"Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep."

As Levy looked up to him, her eyes widened a little. Instead of iron, normal and tanned skin glowed faintly in the lamplight. He had closed his eyes, and his chest rose and fell slowly, steadily. The blunette smiled and closed the little anthology, unsure if she had seen him this relaxed since she had known him. _He must have been exhausted._

She thought back to their first meeting, what he had been like then, and compared it to the slumbering figure on her couch. _He's changed so much._ Levy had earned his trust, and clearly, she trusted him as well. This was as open as she could get, allowing him to stay like this. Gajeel had presented himself to her, utterly vulnerable, and placed his trust in her. There was absolutely no way she couldn't do the same.

Everything in her pushed her to trust him, and as silence engulfed them, she couldn't help feeling safe with him there. The house wasn't so big, and the quiet wasn't so overbearing. There was still so much she didn't know, but so much had happened in the span of a few days. And rough as he was, as loud and brash as he could be, everything that he did reaffirmed to her that she was _safe_ with him.

Curiosity compelled her then, and slowly, carefully, she leaned forward to try and get a better look at him. She dared not get too close for fear of waking him from such a peaceful state, but she leaned as far forward onto her hands as she could. She studied his face, trying to memorize new details she had not previously noted now that he was so still. She counted the studs in his features, she noted the thin line of a scar on his jawline, and the tangled black waves that framed the whole picture. Before she knew what she was doing, she lifted a hand, slowly reaching a trembling hand towards him.

She let out a shaky breath, trying to control it, which turned into a huff and a gasp when ruby eyes cracked open to look directly at her. His gaze wasn't threatened, surprised, but rather quietly expectant. Like he knew what she was doing, but still wanted to know what she would do next. Would she touch his face like she had already done once before? Would she stay this close? The answer to both of those questions was a resounding, _I want her to._

But Levy was frozen, caught in the act of her quiet investigation. Yet he said nothing, simply looked at her, which brought an inadvertent burning in her cheeks that might have been all embarrassment, and might have been something more. "I-I'm sorry," she finally stammered as her hand dropped, leaning back to sit back against the ottoman at her comfortable distance, "I didn't mean to wake you. I was, I was just..." she tailed off, unable to finish the sentence because, what _was_ she doing?

Gajeel hummed and shut his eyes again, "Nah," he responded quietly, slowly closing his eyes again. "Don't go, just yet," he added after a moment. "I know ya got your own bed but, just a few more minutes." His thoughts were quiet, filled with her and only her. Nearly every sense was taken over by her and he didn't want that to end. He didn't want her to close a door between them just yet, which would invariably open another for his demons. Just a few more minutes of this peace. Had he been more brutish, he could have demanded a lifetime of it, for it to never end. But even isolated as he was, he knew he had no right. Not to her.

"Okay," Levy replied, relaxing a little and slowing her pounding heart. She watched him until she felt her own eyes grow heavy, the length of the day and the alcohol slowly catching up to her. _I'll just close them for a second…before I go change…_

* * *

The early morning light was a faint, grey hue in the house when he opened his eyes. Muffled birdsong slowly drifted to his ears, and he blinked the grogginess from his vision. _Warm…_ he thought pleasantly, realizing he had tangled himself in the large comforter. The blanket was warm, the couch was soft, and as unknown as this kind of comfort was to him, he didn't dare question it. Because it felt _heavenly_.

There was an ease in his chest as he buried his face into the pillow a little and inhaled. Gajeel allowed the scent to overpower his senses, engulfing himself in it until he heard something shift in the room. Quickly he tensed and looked to the source, and immediately relaxed when he saw the tiny figure curled there on the floor, the book still in her hands. _Did she….sleep there all night?_ He instantly found himself feeling guilty that he'd had such a pleasant sleep, and there she was on the floor.

That guilt only intensified when he saw her tiny frame shake with a little shiver. _It's cold in here._ A deep frown set on his face and he got up immediately, trying to be as quiet as he could. The girl did not react, and he looked to the hall with the open door. Without another thought, he carefully, and as gently as he was able, pulled the book from her tiny hands and scooped her up into his arms.

Levy shifted, humming a little, but did not wake. Gajeel stood there and held his breath, as still as possible, and waited for her to settle again. She did not move again, but he could not help staring at her a little longer, smirking at the now smudged black makeup on her face. But more than that, she was the absolute definition of peace and as much as he wanted to deny it, she felt right in his arms. So much so that he couldn't in that moment imagine how he would let her go. He tightened his grip slightly, a sudden compulsion to keep her close striking him now. _She's so small._ It wasn't as though he was just realizing the fact, it was something he relished teasing her about since they met. But now that he held her, felt her weight, and saw just how tiny she was against him, it was more obvious than ever. She was so small, and her home was so empty, and the world was so big.

Gajeel couldn't help but wonder if in a past life, if he had had something like this before. If this was something he was lucky enough to know or experience. At the same time, he couldn't imagine it. Not only because the dragon couldn't fathom, even before the experiments, being lucky enough to have something like this, but also because there couldn't possibly be anyone her equal. There couldn't possibly be anyone else that could assume such a profound significance to him in such a short time. That was the kind of thing that didn't happen more than once in life. And how tragic that it could happen to a beast such as himself.

He tried to imagine a world in which he could do this whenever he wanted. A world where he didn't have to dread setting her down and letting her go. A world in which he wasn't a monster in a laboratory and the secret she kept hidden. A world where he was just a man, and she was just this tiny woman that somehow found ways to save him a little more each day he knew her. A world where he could just be in the open with her and be close to her.

But that was not his world, and those were not his circumstances. As much he he wanted them to, they never would be his circumstances. Gajeel lowered his head, carefully, and buried his nose into her hair. She still smelled like wood smoke, but her normal scent was still there. He knew he had to right, he knew he was stealing these moments. Despite that, and himself, he pressed his lips to the top of her head gingerly. He tried, futilely to remain in that moment, but she shifted again in his arms and he had to pull away.

"Gajeel…" it was the tiniest, minuscule whisper, but he did not miss it. A chill shot through him as he stared wide-eyed down at her, and as much as he didn't want to, he felt it was now urgent to get away from her. Because now he was feeling things he did not know how to feel, and he couldn't process them with her this close to him.

Carefully, he carried her into her room, and shifted her slightly to hold her with one arm while his free hand pulled open her covers. He set her down slowly, and she instinctively buried herself into her pillows, nestling in like the animal she was dressed as. _You're killin' me, shrimp._ Gajeel pulled the covers over her, and quickly backed away from the bed.

The morning light was growing in the cold, quiet world outside, and he needed to be making his exit. Everything in him now screamed at him to stay, to never leave her. That any second she could disappear like the dream she was. But he couldn't escape his nature, and he knew that he needed to vanish from this world of hers before anyone else around her awakened.

When Levy woke up not an hour later, it took a moment for the sleep to clear from her thoughts and remember the night before. Quickly her head shot up and she looked about her quiet room, before her gaze landed on her clock: 7:45. _When did I come to bed?_ She thought glancing down at the black clothes she was still wearing. _Okay, so I didn't change._ Levy wiped her face, and frowned at the black makeup on her fingertips. _And I still need to wash my face._

Finally, her thoughts came back around to Gajeel, _Did he bring me here?_ The warmth in her face and the flutter in her chest surprised her. Levy quietly slipped out of bed, shuddering at the cold hardwood on her bare feet. _It's definitely going to snow soon, it's freezing!_ She thought, tiptoeing into the living room. What she found, however, was an empty couch with a balled up comforter on it. On the cushion, was the little anthology she had read from.

Levy found herself feeling disappointed before she could really understand why. There was definitely a part of her that wished he would still be there, just so they could share a few more privileged moments, but also a part that was happy he wasn't. Not just because she had to return to work today, but because something changed yesterday. Words were futile devices to define it, but there was definitely a tangible shift between them. Levy could barely wrap her mind around so much happening in one day, and struggled even more to make sense of it.

His heartbreaking desperation when he came to her last night stuck clear as day in her thoughts. The way that he looked at her was the way someone looked at their saving grace and their one and only hope. _Is that how he feels about me?_ she thought, holding a hand to her chest and looking out the windows into her backyard.

An exasperated sigh fell from her, and Levy turned to head back into her bedroom. _I can't stay on this all day. And I_ _ **have**_ _to get out of these clothes._ There were few things a hot shower couldn't fix, and the beginning of her work week with the promise of keeping her occupied was a welcome change. Still, getting the red-eyed man out of her thoughts would be no easy task.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Here is the next chapter! Anyone that's read the original will notice that I have pretty much changed and rearranged the WHOLE thing! And, a detail that might be of interest…I combined half of the next chapter(Dawn's Intermission) with the end of this one. And I still intend to keep this fic at 20 chapters total… ;]

* * *

It had been more than a week since Halloween, and the last time since she had seen her dragon.

The first day after Halloween was difficult. She had been so spaced that multiple times customers had to try more than once to get her attention, and she hardly got anything done. When she got home that evening she was exhausted, but her thoughts kept her awake for most of the night.

The following days got easier only in the aspect of being able to keep herself occupied and distracted. Her efforts to decipher how she felt, however, had made no progress. The shadow that had terrorized she and her friends, and who was so unearthly, had gone from all of that to the vulnerable figure on her couch. Listening to her read to him. She had trusted him enough to fall asleep, and that sudden change happened quickly enough to leave her with emotional whiplash. To which there was no closure as he was gone when she awoke.

Consequently, her productivity after that first day was better than it had ever been, and with her short stint off work she had been more than willing to pick up shifts for the people that had to cover her. After all, it was only fair, and it also kept her there from open to close. Which wasn't awful; the constant activity and steady flow of tasks did wonders to keep her thoughts on one track for the majority of the day. Still, when she wasn't working, she expected him to show up any minute. With no luck.

Levy chalked it up to the snow flurries that had started on the 2nd, slowly dusting their surroundings with a soft white. It was certainly what kept her from going back herself; the small blunette was not really fit to be trekking through the woods in the snow by herself. That, along with her increased hours at work: there wasn't any real time for her to go. _Excuses…_ she would scold herself every now and again, and then wonder why she felt so obligated to see him. So she coped by pushing it all onto him, waiting for him to show. Wondering why he hadn't. Or wondering he had when she wasn't home, which only made her feel worse.

Lucy had been over a couple other nights to watch movies and drink hot cocoa: a little tradition of theirs every time the weather turned. Levy wasn't a huge fan of the cold, but Crop-Top-Lucy was even less so. The whole tradition involved Lucy cocooned in a blanket with an angry puff to her cheeks. It was how she coped. The thought made Levy laugh to herself, wondering every year how Lucy survived the winters when 90% of her attire was shorts, skirts, bandeaus, and crop tops. The girl fed on sunlight and warmth.

For Levy, however, it was near torture trying to act normally. Her best friend was the one that she was supposed to be venting to about silly feelings stuff. Lucy ate that up, especially if it involved boys. And _especially_ if it involved boys that Levy might be confused about. Even if she didn't think it was anything like _that_. _But what am I supposed to say? 'Hey remember that scary guy in the dark that made you pee your pants? Yeah he seems like he's interested in me and I don't know how I feel about him. Just ignore the first part.'_ She grimaced and threw her head back in defeat. _Why is this so_ _ **complicated!**_ _Why couldn't this just be easy?_

The pervasive thought that he might try to come when she wasn't there wouldn't leave her. It circled in her head while waking and asleep, and it pained her to imagine his disappointment. Two mornings ago, Levy took the time to pull out a long coat from the master closet and a thick scarf, setting it out on the bed. She took a sheet of paper and, wanting to be vague _just in case_ , only wrote "keep warm," and left the sliding doors unlocked. When she returned that night, the clothes and the note were gone. And something striking was in its place.

A worn, damaged notebook. The black, partially detached cover had no identifiers. Inside, pages were torn or burnt, and some were ripped out entirely. But there were several pages that were preserved clearly, and she had spent nearly the entire night poring through it, trying to make sense of it. And understand why he left it for her. In a way it seemed fitting, communication wasn't necessarily his strong suit. It warmed her that he wanted her to have it, that it was his way of opening who he was in the safest way possible. Levy still couldn't help being disappointed that he didn't stay, or give it to her directly.

What she had begun to uncover inside kept the notebook nearly attached at her hip; both from wanting every second to interpret what was inside, but also for fear of _anyone_ else seeing it. More than that, it pained her terribly to know what she did now; to have some of the questions answered that she had wanted so much to ask and she was so relieved that he chose to do it in this way.

The day following the appearance of the notebook she had off work, and she spent it still going cover to cover. It was midday when she couldn't take being boxed in with her thoughts anymore, waiting for a tap on the back doors. Levy packed the notebook into her purse, bundled up, and headed out. The way to the library was memorized for the bookworm, and on a cold day like today, she was counting on not many people being there.

Thankfully she was right on that regard, and she quickly went to the farthest back computer she could find. With a cautionary glance around her, she candidly pulled the book from her bag and opened it straight to a page she had marked last night. Levy's brows knit together in concentration.

 _December 15, 2010_

 _X777 continues to resist the treatments and refuses to succumb as the other subjects have after the first failed conversion. He seems to wish, to think he has the option to exit the study. Tragic. He has responded much more… poorly to containment than the others. Although infuriating, I would be remiss to not note his perceptiveness to our methods. X777 caught on nearly immediately to our containment protocols, faster even than others of similar… volatility. Keeping him within the facility was initially a challenge that we overcame thanks largely to what we learned with X761. We are still trying to replace staff from this incident. Good hands are so difficult to come by._

 _The conditioning process has taken extraordinarily longer and it severely hinders our progress. He displays incredible potential for full conversion but the indignant fire will not go out and any partial conversions thus far have been unstable due to fractious temperament._

 _There is promise in other methods. Deprivation of course shows much effectivity in trials with canines. I have much hope in applying this and will modify his treatment plan accordingly._

Her stomach twisted painfully upon reading the words again. She knew he couldn't have fully consented to the experiments, but to realize they had been _trapped_ there was almost as difficult as reading such a _cold_ account of it all.

 _January 19, 2011_

 _Isolation protocols have made a much more pliable subject of X777. The fire is not yet extinguished but I can see the resignation, I am thrilled by our progress; we have been able to to increase the dosing significantly, and reached nearly 65% conversion._

 _It was magnificent. I have seen nothing like it and it was not yet even a total success. Before conversion he is a coarse, intimidating man. With it, he only becomes astronomically more so. If we can mold him to control it..._

 _It is unprecedented to have gotten this far and for the subject to have survived the process. He has, however sustained damage that will require us to unfortunately halt sessions for several days. I am advised that should we dose him again and push infusions sooner we may lose him entirely. I am loath to slow our progress, but it can't be helped. Despite his cooperative shortcomings, he is far too much an asset to allow to be burn out like the others. Too promising._

 _The data recorded today will be invaluable to future subjects at Jupiter. I have high hopes for field testing in the foreseeable future once we have reached this level with more patients. I would very much like to place him with X772 once we reach controllable conversions. Their dispositions seem to complement one another in a way that's most intriguing. I had initially thought that X761 might be a more spectacular match due to their similarities, however the unpredictability of both of the most conditioning-resistant patients seemed too much like introducing flame to fuel. A liability I'm not willing to toy with this early. Does it not make more sense for the brute to face the quiet manipulator?_

Initially upon reading, the guilt and pity had pushed her to tears multiple times. This time around, she only felt anger towards the faceless author. Levy flipped to another page,

 _May 25, 2011_

 _X777 is the beacon for this project. He is entirely unparalleled, and what we have been seeking. All those street rats that came and fell before him were but mortar for the path to get to where we are today._

 _For a brief time, we had full conversion, and he is the first, with 761 close on his heels. The infusion took hold as it was designed, and we had him. There, in that moment, I understood fully what we are creating; what he have created. Through the glass, he turned his eyes to me. Framed with iron, yet still pliable enough to twist into a beastly snarl. His composition defies everything we know of matter. He could not see me, yet he locked my gaze and I felt my skin crawl, my heart trip like prey gazing into the maw of its predator. Such a curious, primal response, yet it lit the bulb of inspiration._

 _The potential here, the applications there could be for such raw power… X777's success will fund Jupiter for years to come. We are the pioneers to this field, and I the sole captain. Based on his data alone, we may race forward with conversions for the others. The manners in which each individual express the lacrima infusions are incredibly novel, even with the partial converts. As we have seen with X777, his affinity appears to be solid iron. Yet X772 draws the dark from the corners of his cell, and weaves it like smoke about his fingertips. His brother, incredibly, does the opposite. X761… well his matches his thunderous will._

 _Yet, I get so far ahead of myself. These milestones harald the need for another meet with our benefactors. We may very well have their first shipment far ahead of schedule._

The entries only went as far as the fall of 2011, leaving her to suspect that there were many more books that chronicled the duration of the experiments, and this was one of the earlier accounts of the process.

The blunette turned her attention now to the computer after checking her privacy one more time. _I never actually…tried to dig into the place more. I just went off what people had said when we decided to go there. It was all ghost stories and legend,_ she thought, pulling up the library database and going straight for the news archives. _What do I even search,_ she wondered, trying to recall details from anything Gajeel had told her, before counting something out on her fingers.

After a minute, she went to refine her search, narrowing results to 2012 and just typing the word "laboratory" into the keyword field. _684 results. That's not helpful._ A frown stretched the corners of her mouth slightly, and she glanced to the book again. _I need a better keyword._ After a few more moments, the girl remembered a term she had seen multiple times in the book. Initially, she didn't know what it meant until she had seen it in context enough to figure it was the title for something. Either the project or the entire facility itself.

Erasing her previous search, she typed in a new term: Jupiter.

Only a handful of results came up this time. A few vague articles, but the most recent one was the one she was looking for: ' _Jupiter Technology Closes After Incident.'_

 _Incident?_ Levy tilted her head in confusion. The article was as vague as she could expect… but after delving into the story, she realized she had been mistaken on why they were closed. Yes, the lab closed permanently because of what was found, but that wasn't what catalyzed the process. The article talked about significant damage done to the facility on the night of September 7th, 2012.

' _Seven casualties were identified after the incident. Among the casualties were Jupiter Technology CEO, and several researchers on staff. Rumors are circulating of military involvement, but nothing can be confirmed at this time. Remaining staff of the facility, including head of technological development, Dr. Porla, could not be located or contacted for comment. As of this time, there has been total dissolution of the company in the wake of catastrophic damages and the halt of all funding in order to investigate the nature of the facility's work."_

Levy's heart sank. _No mention of any of the subjects at the lab…_

The sound of footsteps heading her way caused Levy to quickly close the window and stuff the book away. A glance over her shoulder just showed the librarian making her rounds with the book cart. She sighed and placed her face in her hands, feeling the strain of such focus and the lack of sleep catching up to her. Levy checked the time, before deciding it was time for her to leave, and be where she could really think about what she had uncovered. _Did Gajeel…_ A shudder ran through her at the thought, and her imagination conjured an image of her dragon in a rage, of people falling before him…

Levy shook her head violently, allowing the cold air to berate her for thinking of such a thing. The next thought was regarding what she read. And her stomach sunk again. _What they did to him. What he must have endured…._ It was so much worse than she could have imagined, and she had the most difficulty understanding _why._ And more than that, trying to understand why he would ever trust her or come near her.

More than before she found herself giving in to the hope that he might come see her again, so she could stop bursting at the seams with all this information. But, she found her home as quiet and empty as she left it. A heavy sigh moved her shoulders and she shook her head again, knowing she had no right to expect him to return on _her_ schedule. If she wanted to see him, she would need to wait. Even if the snow had not been a factor, at this point it was his decision to return to see her. He'd been robbed of choice so much already, she owed him that much at least.

* * *

"Thank you! Come back soon." Levy flashed a bright, customer service smile at the patron was headed out the door with their new books. The jingle of the door closing finalized their exit, and she set about closing up the store for the day. It was the day after her library investigation, and though she had finally gotten sleep, all her thoughts were plagued with the ominous headline.

Every time she drifted into her dreams last night, she started with seeing him, wrought with his torment. She would try to reach him, help him, but every time it would devolve back into fiery eyes surrounded by flames. To raven locks entwisted, stormy. The destruction was deafening, and try as she might, she could never reach or escape the image. Multiple times it jerked her awake into a cold sweat, gasping for air. Her eyes would dart around her dark room before settling on her window, staring out into the moonlight white. She couldn't see anything, but each time her gut told her something was out there.

Cerulean locks danced with a quick shake of her head, trying to return to the present. As Levy finished cleaning up the store and locking up, she made certain that the notebook was tucked securely into her bag. Even after poring over every word and nearly memorizing it back to front, she didn't want to leave it unattended.

She shrunk into her coat as the cold air bit at her cheeks and flushed them while she locked the front door to the shop. If she wasn't afraid of busting her butt, she would have run straight home to get out of the cold sooner, which was only getting worse as the daylight slowly died out. With the sharp edge to the wind, she guessed a storm would be moving in overnight.

Her eyes fixed on her feet to watch her hurried but careful steps, which kept her eyes off the path in front of her. And sent the blunette crashing right into someone and knocking her bag out of her hands into the snow. "Shoot!" I'm so sorry," she burst, quickly stooping down to gather her things.

"It's fine, miss," a smooth male voice answered, and before she could grab the one item _most_ important, he beat her to it. Nimble fingers grasped the worn notebook and lifted it from the snow, turning so slightly in his grip that she almost missed it. Her stomach dropped, but all he did was hand it to her, and get up wordlessly to continue on his way.

"Ah, th-thanks!" Levy called after him, but he was already gone. She sat there a moment staring in the direction he had gone before she, slowly rearranged her belongings into her bag. Levy carefully got back up to her feet, shivered, and kept on her way home.

The yellow glow of her street was a welcome sight, and she warmed herself thinking about the heat inside her home. Numb fingers struggled to open her front door, and once inside she made a beeline straight for her thermostat to turn on the heat. She slipped out of her coat, hung it on a hook by the door and kicked off her boots. Levy flipped on the lights on her way to the fireplace, and picked up some small logs stacked by the mantle to toss in before starting up the fire. The warmth was more than welcome and brought the sensation back into her fingers.

With a relaxed smile on her face, Levy went to plug in her phone to a set of speakers and turned on some soft music. A hum rose in her to accompany the melody as she set about warming up some soup she had made the night before; she needed something to ease her nerves. While waiting for the food to be ready, she wandered into her room to change out of her work clothes and into warm, pale yellow pajamas. Levy pulled her yellow headband from her hair and ruffled it a little.

The chime of the microwave brought her back out into the kitchen. She had just set the bowl on the small kitchen table, when a sharp tap at the window nearly shook her out of her skin as she threw her spoon across the room. So much for that. She swung her panicked gaze to the double doors, and connected with the ruby gaze.

"Gajeel!" she gasped, catching sight of the very amused man outside. She rushed over to the doors in the kitchen and pulled them open, "Get in here! You'll let all the heat out," she urged as he stepped in, covered in flakes, and quickly shut the doors again.

Much to her dismay he shook himself out, scattering snow all over her kitchen. "You're a hard one to catch alone these days," he remarked, ignoring her displeasure at the shed of flurries, "also nice toss," He commented with a cock of his head to the spoon now on the floor. An embarrassed grumble escaped her as she rushed to pick up the utensil and wipe it off with her shirt, and to also hide the small red tinge in her cheeks. The jovial, familiar attitude was not what she had expected, and it made it even clearer that there had been a tangible shift in their interactions with one another. Also unexpected, was the fact he appeared to her as himself, as flesh. Not iron.

His red eyes swept over her, taking in the small girl and her attire. He tried to refine the details of his memory, having distanced himself from the real thing. _Fuckin' hell, I can't look away. How did I even last this long,_ he thought, his gaze lingering on her face. On her gentle brown eyes, on the flush of her cheeks.

"That's your fault. Stupid," she muttered, but she couldn't help smiling at the black coat and the red scarf that was wrapped around his head to keep his hair back. He looked comfortable, and her responsibility for that was warming. But more noticeable, was that he hadn't changed. He stood before her just as himself, not as the iron dragon that had invaded her thoughts menacingly in the dark. Guilt pricked sharply in her chest for what her imagination had done, and she shoved it away.

The dragon quickly made himself at home and pulled out a chair, straddling it backwards and crossing his arms over the back. "Where ya been?" he asked now, softer. Levy felt her cheeks warm and a flutter in her stomach.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied with an arched brow. He quickly averted his gaze to the side with a slight, guilty grimace, and she immediately felt bad for asking. "I've been working," Levy added, trying to pull the focus back to herself.

Gajeel grimaced and huffed, resting his hands and chin on the back of the chair. "What're you doin' that for."

She couldn't help but laugh, and turned to scoop an extra bowl of soup without really thinking about it. "Cause I have to, silly," she responded, setting the bowl in front of him before she took her own seat next to him at the table. "It's terrible out there, why'd you come out in weather like this?" Levy asked, blowing on a spoonful of soup. Gajeel had glanced curiously at his bowl and sniffed before he took his own bite. The warm food, the crackling fire, the gentle music in the background, and the enthralling creature next to him were all incredibly domestic. _Where, along the line, did I end up deserving something like this?_

"I wanted to see ya," he mumbled after swallowing his mouthful. _It's too damn exhaustin' to not say it. What I got to lose?_ he thought, studying her face, _Well…that's a stupid question. Her, obviously. But I can't be anything but honest to a face like that._

To his delight, Levy's face flushed again and her soup suddenly became the most interesting thing in the room. "Oh," she responded, scarfing down another mouthful. She had expected a level of novel curiosity from him regarding a world that had cast him out, but she didn't quite expect him to so outwardly admit that she was his reason to come back.

"I, I tried," Gajeel struggled with the words, trying to justify his own absence, But in reality, he couldn't come up with a reason other than the fact he was afraid to return. That night and what he had felt stirring in his chest frankly startled him away from the bewitching little fairy. He'd made it several days through one-sided conversations with his little black cat, but eventually his resolve cracked. He remembered perfectly clearly the paths his thoughts took that day as he ventured to the 2nd floor _for her_ and retrieved one of the foul-smelling, terrible books from _his_ office. Or what remained of it. Gajeel had been overwhelmingly compelled to do something he'd never imagine, but he felt he needed to give her a piece of the truth. She's seen him, but she hadn't _known_ him yet. Much as he hated it, what had been done to him was all he had to offer in terms of his identity. He had no stories of his youth, no memories, nothing to give her. Only part of the notes that chronicled his beginnings into _this_ life.

Gajeel stole away to her home, ready to hand the book to her and allow her to see. He remembered feeling exhilarated, and absolutely terrified that the doors were left open for him. But upon coming inside, he knew right away she wasn't there. The house was silent; still. Disappointment twisted his stomach, but when he saw the clothing she left for him, hope renewed. In that moment, he felt absolute relief that a safer option had presented itself to him, and he left the notebook in place of the clothes. He resolved then to make himself wait before trying to meet her again, unsure how Levy would take the information. He needed to give her time to absorb it.

The dragon moved a little in his seat. "You…read it right?" he asked tentatively. It was the elephant in the room and he wanted to get it out of the way.

Levy stopped and stared at the table, before nodding, "Yeah."

The flat tone left Gajeel feeling incredibly nervous. She had let him inside, sat comfortably next to him, but she wasn't looking at him. His stomach sunk, and the dark, self loathing voices swirled in his head, working quickly to convince him that she would turn him away.

"I read it," she said, and looked to him then. "X777 was you?"

He grit his teeth and tensed his shoulders, looking away from her now. It was strangely painful to hear the classification coming from her, even if he knew how she meant it. "Yes," he responded, keeping his gaze on the table. What should he say? What could he? _Are you going to run? Will you send me away? Expose me?_

The silence was suffocating, constricting even. He felt his chest tighten so much that he felt the only possible relief was to leave again. The lack of words from her felt like just as much an answer as any, and it was all he needed. Wordlessly, he moved suddenly in his chair to go.

Something stopped him. Gajeel heard her shift, heard the chair slide on the hardwood floor, and he had just turned to face her but only saw blue. His red eyes widened and his heart nearly stopped as a soft warmth settled over him. Levy had wound her arms around his neck and nestled her face into his shoulder, barely having to bend to reach his height. Especially since he sat up stick-straight as soon as he realized what was happening. _What is she doing!?_ The contact was strange, it baffled him and set his every sense alight. In every one of his memories, Gajeel had no recollection of ever having been touched in this way. He became hyperaware; he could feel her breath on his neck, he could feel the hairs on his arms stand up, he could hear his blood in his ears…

"I'm so sorry," Levy whimpered, her voice cracking. There was the smell of salt, and Gajeel's heart began to race. "I am so sorry for what they did to you, I–" her voice broke with her tears and she held him tighter, her small frame shaking. "It's unthinkable."

"Sh-shorty?" Gajeel stammered, lifting his hands in front of him a little, unsure where to put them. "H-hey, what're ya cryin' for? " he tried to sound even a little bit composed, but all he managed was barely controlled distress.

"I'm not..." Levy mumbled and sniffed, holding him tighter. _I want….to ask about the article. But…now isn't right._

Gajeel, finally, relaxed and angled himself to face her more directly. Slowly, he lifted his hands to place one on the back of her head, tangling into her hair. The other went around her waist, pulling her sideways into his lap. She did not protest, her stomach did flips, but she continued to cling to him. At least he couldn't see her face like this. He closed his eyes, pressing his nose into her neck, his clouded mind soaring with how right she fit against him. _Thank you, Lev._

After several long moments, she pulled away from him, but not without a bit of resistance from him first. She leaned back, took his face in her hands, and locked his gaze. "Please stay here."

* * *

Levy fidgeted nervously with the edge of the blanket she had wrapped around herself, staring into the fire with her back against the couch. The sound of the fire, crackling and hissing, tried to overpower the sound of running water in the background. When that didn't suffice, she tried to focus on the sound of her music, which helped only a little. The blunette glanced to the clock on the wall, surprised that it wasn't as late as she thought it was. Maybe because it felt like an eternity since she had offered for him, a man, to use her shower. At night.

She had been the one that insisted, knowing how nice a hot shower, especially on a cold night, could feel. And really… when had he been able to use one last? Levy was just trying to be helpful. But she definitely had not planned ahead to the point where she would be sitting here waiting, by herself, while he was in _her_ shower. There were places her thoughts had started to wander, but with flaming cheeks and violent head shakes, she dashed them away. _It's not even a big deal. I'm just giving him basic necessities,_ she tried to tell herself.

"You really gotta get stuff that doesn't all smell like flowers. Makin' me smell like a damn fairy," his voice startled her, and she jumped while looking to him abruptly. Immediately, her face went red.

He stood there, rubbing his mane roughly with the towel she had lent him. The flannel pants she had found seemed to fit well, and more than that the old green t-shirt she had dug up clung to him tightly, dampened by his poor job at drying his hair.

Gajeel, noticing her stare, shifted uncomfortably, "What?"

Levy shook her head a bit too fervently and pulled her blanket up to her face a little. "Nothing!" she answered quickly, glancing again at his untamed hair. She furrowed her brow before she got up quickly, much to his surprise, and marched back to the bathroom in the hall. He could only watch her with lifted brows, his hand that held the towel dropping a little.

She returned with a brush and comb in hand, and pointed to the floor in front of the couch. "Sit there," Levy instructed bluntly. Normally, there might have been a smartass reply, or some kind of retort, but Gajeel was far too intrigued to come up with anything. Quietly, he took a seat, and she moved to settle crosslegged behind him up on the couch. He looked over his shoulder at her, the questions playing on his face. Levy merely took his head in her hands, and pointed his face away from her. "Hand me the towel and then hold still," she said softly. Compliantly, he reached back and gave her the towel.

She draped the towel over his shoulders, then sifted her delicate fingers through his hair to pull it up and rest it all on top of the towel, bringing a visible shudder from him. _He'll catch cold if all that water drenches his shirt._ Slowly and much to Gajeel's surprise, she started to work the brush through, being careful not to yank on any of his many, thick tangles. She mumbled quiet apologies every time he tensed, but they otherwise sat in silence, with her music still playing in the background and the fire slowly dying out.

Eventually, Gajeel allowed his eyes to close and he leaned his head back. Her touch sent chills throughout him and settled a profound sense of peace in his chest. He wasn't ready to run, ready to defend himself, ready to scare off intruders. Not a single other thing existed to him other than her and her touch.

Levy smiled softly to herself, enjoying the peace just as much. The quiet wasn't unusual for her. The company, however, was. Sure, she had Lucy, but that was very different from what she had here. Levy had spent days trying to sort out how different. But here, now, as they were, there was no more thought needed.

Section by section, she sifted through his hair and delicately worked out the tangles, moving methodically and zoning out into the process. She was unsure of how much time had passed when she had worked through all of that black mane of his, but the fire had reduced to cinders and his hair was almost completely dry. Quietly, she set the brush aside and contented herself with running her fingers through his hair. Her eyes were heavy, and eventually she settled onto her side, still idly playing with the strands around her fingers.

"Gajeel?" Levy spoke up finally, her voice heavy with sleep.

"Hmm?" the dragon rumbled.

"Is Lily okay on nights like these?"

Gajeel chuckled, resting his head back on the couch, "He's great. All the rats come inside when it gets cold like this so he has a field day. It's his favorite." Amusement hung on his tone.

Levy smiled, "That's good." Her voice was barely audible as she twirled a lock around her finger. "You know…you can bring him here if you want."

Gajeel huffed a small laugh, "If I stay here long enough he'll probably find his way here eventually."

Her face warmed and the familiar flutter in her stomach accompanied it. _If you stay…_ Levy was no longer surprised by the fact that she didn't want him to leave. It was a feeling she couldn't describe well, but she felt like he belonged here. The idea of him going back to the way things had been for him, hiding in the dark by himself, was no longer something she could imagine. And she could tell he felt the same. There was an unspoken settling that had happened tonight, and to her it felt like a victory. "Do you," she started, taking a second to find the courage for the words, "do you want to stay?"

He glanced back at her and met her gaze. There was a need, something in her eyes that made him feel like he didn't belong anywhere else but here. If he didn't know better he might think she was begging him to. "If you let me," he replied.

"As long as you'd like," she closed her eyes finally. "It's not so empty…with you here," Levy barely whispered, finally losing the battle with sleep.

Gajeel took in the slumbering girl behind him, wrapped up in the knit blanket. It felt strange, having someone rely on him like that. But he wanted nothing more than to never let her down, to be the best that he could be for her. _Is this what purpose feels like?_ he thought, reaching back to pull the blanket up over her shoulder. His hand lingered, and he brushed his scarred knuckles against her warm cheek. The size difference, the roughness of his skin and the satin of hers was jarring. Gajeel's eyes settled on her pink lips, lingering there pointedly. There was a heat that rose in his chest, followed by a fear that was different from what he had known before. Abruptly, he looked away, biting his lip. _Fuck._ His hand found its way to his forehead, massaging his temple. _What the hell is this? I've never felt anything like this before. My stomach is in knots._

Slowly, he glanced back at her again, watching the rise and fall of her sides with each breath. He took a moment to look around the room, the take in the sounds around him and memorize how quiet it was so he would know abruptly if something was out of place. She was vulnerable, small, and he had quietly tasked himself with guarding her. He knew how dark the world could be, the types of people that still lurked out there, and he'd be damned if he ever let any of that touch her.


	9. Chapter 9

Levy awoke on her stomach, surrounded by warmth. The blunette blinked slowly, squirming a little under the blanket and taking a moment to remember why she was on the sofa. She turned her head, pressing her face into the cushion, and glimpsed the figure on the floor lit by the early morning light. Her cheeks turned pink at the realization, _Oh._ She shifted to try and rub her face, but her right hand was held in place by something. When she tried to pull her hand back, there was a gentle squeeze. Levy scooted carefully to look over the edge of the couch, and couldn't help the smile that spread on her face.

Gajeel had settled onto his back on the floor, with the second blanket she had brought out last night pulled over him. His hair was spread out beneath him and partially over his peaceful face. One arm was tucked behind his head, supporting it, and the left was across his chest… with his hand holding hers. Levy couldn't help but marvel at the size difference, how tiny her fingers were laced between his.

Somehow, in the middle of the night, their hands had found each other. And if Levy wasn't so worried about waking him and breaking contact, she might have started flailing because, _Oh my god he's holding my hand. He's holding my hand and we slept in the same place and what am I supposed to do._

There was another squeeze of her hand, and a long intake of breath. "You're an open book, shrimp…" His husky, sleep-laden voice broke the silence, and he cracked open an eye to look at her. "Could you freak out a little louder?"

 _What! I didn't make a sound!_ she thought frantically, eyes widening.

At the sight of her, saucer-eyed, red, peeking over the couch cushion down at him, he couldn't help himself. " _Gi-hi-hi!"_ A hearty chuckle, the kind that pricks at the corners of your eyes with mirth. "You okay up there?" he teased, flashing a fanged smile in his attempt to hide the fact that his own heart was racing as well.

"Mhm…!" she hummed anxiously, pressing her face back into cushion a little more. Before realizing it, her grip tightened on his hand.

Gajeel glanced down at their hands, then back up at her. "Is this okay?"

Levy paused a moment, before slowly nodding her head. He squeezed her hand a little in response, and she swore she could see a tension she hadn't noticed previously leave him. "Good," he replied, keeping his piercing gaze on her for a moment longer before looking back to their hands.

"Did you sleep okay?" Levy asked, gently.

"Mhm," he hummed to the affirmative. It was a simple reply for such a significant fact. Like that first night he spent here, he slept heavily and without the nightmares that plagued him regularly. It was still something he wasn't quite adjusted to.

"You didn't change last night," she pointed out, noting that she hadn't seen his iron scales for some time.

 _Not having the dreams or sleeping in THAT place probably helps… so, you're to thank for that,_ he thought. "How about that," Gajeel mused, before lifting up her hand in his a bit. Gently, like handling glass, he moved her hand around in his grasp as though studying it. "They're so small," he remarked, and Levy felt protest rise in her. But she couldn't say anything, not daring shatter the peaceful quiet. She could only watch him, and watch how unspeakably gentle he was with her.

"How's someone so small let someone like me in?" he finally asked, his eyes avoiding her face. "Why ain't ya afraid?" It was a question that wouldn't leave him alone, and that swirled every time he saw her. It was the only question that made sense to ask, because nothing else did.

The woman lifted her brows, feeling that it was a silly thing to ask her now of all times. But the way he finally turned his eyes to her, waiting for an answer, she realized. He was still waiting for her to lie to him, to betray him. She saw that she could have broken him with such painful ease with the wrong words, and that trauma-made fragility nearly broke _her._

"Because I don't need to be," Levy finally answered frankly. "I see you, and not how you see yourself." Her thoughts drifted back to the article she had read yesterday, before she stuffed them back again for later. "You're not going to hurt me."

Gajeel wondered how he looked in that moment, because her words hit him harder than anything he had ever felt before. Harder than any nightmare or flashback. _I would never._ He looked now to the healing scab at her hairline. _Never on purpose,_ he amended, and his stomach twisted a little at the possibility that he _could_ , unintentionally. Just because of what he was. _But god, I swear. I will never let anything hurt you. As long as you let me, I'll to protect you._ His thoughts ran before he could fully realize what he was saying. How quickly she had become that for him, from the first time she had shifted to actually speak to him as an equal and not as a beast. He craved every conversation, every visit, and every sight of that blue-haired woman that found it in her to _smile_ at him. And oh lord, that smile. Every time it silenced everything, and instead of the roiling, anxious beast that lived in his chest, warmth blossomed and burned it away, little by little. As much as he sought her out and latched onto her like a cure for darkness, the most stunning part was that she seemed to _want_ him there just as much.

"I know you think you are, but you're not that monster hiding in the dark. Not like the stories. You have kindness in you. And you're a person," Levy continued, shifting her hand to intertwine her fingers back into his again, "Just as deserving of love and kindness as anyone else."

Gajeel's eyes widened and he searched her face, but with flushed cheeks she kept her gaze on their hands. She knew what she was saying, and now felt like the best time to say it. She didn't know what her feelings meant, she didn't know how far they went, but not one word of that sentence felt wrong.

The silence that followed was almost suffocating, but relieving at the same time. His lack of a response was disappointing, but then again she really couldn't expect a response. She had been intentionally indirect, and he had no obligation to give her a response. No part of this was normal and he wasn't exactly accustomed to interacting with others. She understood the stunned silence; who else had said such a thing to him in the last 6 years? Who had even given him an ounce of kindness?

Levy, finally, put on a warm, disarming smile and looked to him. Gajeel could have sworn that his heart stopped right then, and his throat went painfully dry. _Fucking say something,_ his thoughts screamed at him. _Jackass, say SOMETHING!_

"Lucy knows I work today, so she shouldn't be over, you don't have to worry. If anyone does come, go into the master. No one goes in there." She took her hand from his and sat up, and Gajeel abruptly followed suit. But she kept talking before he could say anything, "I want you to have anything that's in the closet in that bedroom. Obviously you won't be able to use half of it," she looked to the side briefly, "But the rest of it, if you want it, is yours." She was more than happy to help him into normal clothing, and to finally put good use to something that had sat stagnant for years.

Before she stood, she placed a hand on his cheek, smiled again, and with iron resolve leaned forward to gently kiss his forehead. She intentionally gave him no time to react–he couldn't have anyway, completely frozen in the spot–and headed off with a bounce in her step into her room to change, closing the door quietly behind her.

Levy's face went straight into her hands, both to decompress her raging nerves and try to contain her relief at voicing how she felt. Or least how she was starting to. _So much for things not being complicated._

No, it didn't make sense. Yes, it was crazy. But what she had just done in the living room felt so natural, easy, and like it was something she could do every day. _I thought it was just because I wanted him to be okay, to help him. Because no one ever has, and he has been hurt… so badly, by so many people._ Levy slowly lifted her face back from her hands, leaving one cupped over her mouth. _But that's not the only reason I…_

She peeled her hands off her face and looked up into her room. It was early, she still had some time. And as much as she felt like running from the absolute embarrassment, she also didn't want to leave him just yet.

Several minutes later, Levy emerged in her work clothes, a simple blue button down and khaki pants, with her hair pulled back into a small ponytail. To her surprise, Gajeel was in the exact spot she had left him, sitting on the floor in front of the couch. Still as a cautious animal. And there _was_ fear on his face, but it was… different.

His red eyes widened just slightly, expectantly, when she stepped back out. "I have some time, if you're hungry, to make some breakfast. I know you prefer… the other stuff. But I have been told I make great scrambled eggs?" She flashed another smile at him, and he looked like he had been punched in the gut.

Slowly, Gajeel nodded, and watched her flit into the kitchen. He stood, lost for a moment with what to do, or how to interact with her. He had already fumbled once, and really had no intention of doing that again. So the best thing to do, was to sit down at her table and keep his mouth shut. Couldn't make an ass of himself if he didn't _say_ anything.

Levy didn't pay him any mind when he pulled out the chair and sat. Partially because she was focusing on her cooking, and partially because she felt about as awkward as he did.

"What all are you making…?" Gajeel finally broke the silence, and earned a side glance from her.

"Bacon and eggs. A classic," Levy replied.

"I don't know if I've ever had it," he admitted, quietly.

The woman paused, not quite expecting the answer even though she should have. After that moment, she resumed cooking, pushing the eggs around and then using tongs to flip over the bacon. "Do you remember… much?"

"Pieces. I did find my file once, after the collapse. It gave me… basic information," he answered, his voice tight.

"Do you still have that?"

A beat of silence. "No," he responded, almost as a growl. "I destroyed it."

Levy glanced back at him again, seeing that he was resting his chin on his fists, staring out the double doors to the snow outside. "Why?" she asked, unsure why she needed to know.

"Because they destroyed him. Me," his eyes flicked back to her. "He didn't exist anymore, so I just took away the last piece."

Levy put all her attention back on the nearly finished food, pulling out two plates. "Oh," she replied, uselessly. "What if you could? Exist again, I mean?" Levy asked, carefully.

Now he looked to her fully, eyes intense with a wildness that had been cultivated over years. "I can't," he replied, more forcefully than he had intended. "I never can. Not as long as they… he, is still out there. I could be brought… back. Retrieved. And I don't plan to ever let that happen."

Levy didn't know what to say to that. It was a fear she couldn't comprehend, and therefore there were no words she could offer.

Gajeel beat himself mentally, realizing now that he had ruined the mood. _Way to go, lord of darkness._ He didn't quite look at her as she set the food in front of him, but he did utter a small 'thank you.' She sat down across from him, and he could feel her eyes on him, but he was scared to look up again.

They ate in silence, until finally Levy glanced at the clock. "I should go," she said finally, "I get off at 5."

He glanced up at her, words a loss for him now, too. But still, she smiled at him, and left without another word.

* * *

If she thought she had been distracted earlier in the week, it was nothing compared to her state now. Fortunately the weather today kept the shop more or less dead. Books weren't quite enough to entice people-or, people that weren't her-to come out in the miserable cold.

Which was fine with her, because it gave her time to replay the last few days over and over in her head. The image of him, asleep, and her hand in his, was seared into her mind and kept a smile on her face. Regardless of how awkward the morning had been. She still had a hard time wrapping her head around how large he was, how strong she had seen him be, and how gently he held her hand in that moment. It had given her such a strong sense of safety, and security, and that was likely why she had the courage to say what she did.

No, he hadn't said anything when he really could have this morning. Aside from dark lapse at the table, and she could justify that. But she had still moved forward significantly with him, and even if he hadn't replied, his actions were clear. Levy had a tendency to read too much into things, but there were things that he did that she felt were obvious.

She began to wonder how she was going to continue to hide this from Lucy, a fact she hadn't fully considered when she had essentially offered her home to the dragon. Her friend wasn't dense, she would pick up sooner or later that something was up. It wasn't something she had brought up with Gajeel since he first told her, sternly, to never let another person know she was coming to see him. That seemed like forever ago, but she knew his sentiments wouldn't have changed, especially after the brief discussion at her table. He was still so afraid, so broken by what had been done to him, and what could still happen to him. Was his only option to live in terrified secrecy? Did he have no other prospect?

The weight of what she had offered to him started to settle in. She didn't just offer him a place to live, but a hiding place. For how long? Was there ever a chance that he could find a place in the world again after what he had been made into?

The ring of the front door brought her abruptly out of her head. Levy looked over her shoulder at the customer and smiled, "Welcome!" she called cheerily. The man, dressed in a coat, barely gave her any more acknowledgement other than a small hum and a tilt of his head. "Let me know if I can help you find anything today," she added, prompting him to look at her this time. _Huh, he's new,_ she thought, looking the man over. His reddish black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he had a dramatic, long mustache to match. _Well, that's a statement_.

"Where could I get access to public records around here?" he asked, eyes wandering around the bookstore with what looked like an annoyed grimace. Like someone who had spent a long while fruitlessly looking for something.

"Oh, those would be at the library. On 4th and Draper," she replied, keeping pleasant regardless of his cold demeanor.

He set his gaze back on Levy, and the girl couldn't help but shift uneasily. The man furrowed his brow a second, then seemed to recognize something. His brows lifted. "Ahh, I thought the hair was familiar. I think I met you, abruptly, heading there yesterday." He now flashed a lopsided grin. Levy stiffened, feeling an odd chill slither down her spine, but she kept on a tense smile.

He was the one she bumped into, who picked up the notebook and handed it back to her. "Oh no, I'm so sorry about that sir, I was in a hurry and not paying attention!" She put up a fake laugh, trying to quell the nervous twist in her stomach. _Who is he?_

"It's fine," he trailed off, before he glanced at her name tag, " _Levy._ Lovely name. Very unique," he commented, "Since I'm here, where is the history section?" he asked finally, tilting his head, "I'm a collector."

It took Levy a moment to collect herself, since his request was mundane enough. "Ah, history is right over here. There are tabs hanging from the shelves with the categories." Levy beckoned him a couple of aisles over and pointed out the large selection. "I hope you find what you're looking for, let me know if there's anything else I can help you with."

The man, unexpectedly, placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her in a way that made her feel he was privy to something she was unaware of. "Oh, I will, miss," he grinned again and released her, and Levy was more than willing to leave him to his devices to return to the register. She tried to clean, to not seem so uncomfortable in his presence. Because besides the fact that he had nearly seen the inside of the notebook yesterday, there was just something unsettling about him that she couldn't put her finger on. But he really just seemed like a man looking for some history texts.

The man finally came up to her desk, placing several books on the counter. The array of titles quickly eased her previous worry. Several history texts, and then one more: ' _Fiore: Myths and Legends.' "_ I'll take these," he said while pulling out his wallet.

Cold dread settled in her gut. That was the same book that had lead her to the lab in the first place. But in the mix of all the others, it felt just like a coincidence. Levy nodded and rang him up.

"Thank you, Miss McGarden." And with that, he gave a small flourish with his hand to bid her farewell before disappearing outside.

 _What a strange person,_ Levy thought, standing there while chewing on her fingernail. She was left again in silence after he left, and she replayed the whole interaction over in her head. The more she played it over, the more mundane it seemed. He was just an odd stranger, looking for books. There was no real reason to set off an already unsteady Gajeel for what could have just been a coincidental encounter.

She occupied herself with organizing and some occasional reading of the rest of the day, trying to move past it. Rereading a few chapters of some of her old favorites helped, and in the midst of it she was struck with an idea. _I should stop by the hardware store on my way home._

* * *

It was with great apprehension that Levy returned home that day, trying her best to downplay what had transpired and write it up to just be some weird newcomer. Just someone doing research. _Maybe he was a writer? Like Lucy?_ she thought. She could tell him about it, but she just had to figure out a careful way to do it.

It took her several tries to get her key into the door, partially because of a heavy bag she had in her other hand, partially because of the cold. When she opened it to find her house guest splayed out on her sofa, with a book no less, her troubled heart calmed. A smile graced her features now and she quickly closed the door behind her. Having him be the first thing she saw when she walked in was nothing short of pleasant, and the way his face lit up when he saw her gave her that all-familiar flutter.

"Hey," he called to her, sitting up and quickly tossing the book to his side. She laughed gently at the action.

"You _are_ allowed to look at those, y'know," Levy encouraged, hanging up her jacket. She noticed that the book he'd chosen was one of her anthologies. "Good choice, that one has some of my favorites."

Gajeel hummed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, looking from her to the book.

"What did you like best?" she asked, heading over to him to pick up the book and put it back on the shelf, since she was sure he was done with it. She felt the best thing she could do was just, speak normally to him, and try to not stew in the awkwardness of the morning.

He cocked his head to the side, then crinkled his nose a little. "I hardly understood half of it. Oughta just say what they mean plainly."

Levy laughed a little at the irony of that, but took it regardless. It seemed appropriate from him. "I stopped on the way home to pick something up for you." She smiled, holding up the thick plastic bag. Gajeel lifted a brow and stood as she approached him. "It's a bunch of random stuff and I'm sure they think I'm a weird artist because I asked them for anything iron that they had." As she handed it to him, he peeked inside to see an assortment of cast-iron handles, brackets, and a couple other random pieces of hardware. His face lit up at the selection. "Didn't think you'd care what they were as long as they were iron." Levy beamed up at him, pleased with his reaction.

"Thanks shorty." He flashed a genuine, toothy grin, pulling out a bracket and biting off a piece like it was candy. "Ohh, these're good," he mumbled, mouth full. It was still fascinating for Levy to watch, and she was transfixed staring at his mouth. Until she realized he had stopped chewing and was looking right at her.

He face flared up and she looked away quickly, heading to the kitchen for her dinner. "Sorry. That's still so-"

"Weird?" Gajeel cut in. He smirked, trying to offset her discomfort. "Took me a while to get used to it too. Now I crave it."

He idly followed her into the kitchen, and took a seat at the table while munching on his sustenance of choice while she pulled some leftovers out of her fridge. He watched her quietly for a moment. "Where d'you work?" he asked, trying to break the silence. Levy laughed a little, knowing he would make fun of her.

"A bookstore downtown. Started when I was sixteen and I've been there almost three years now." She bit her lip, waiting for his reaction because really, how typical. Her house was already a library on its own. She set her plate on the table next to him and took a seat.

Sure enough, the corners of his eyes crinkled, and he laughed heartily, "Gi-hi! What a surprise! I feel like I've got you all figured out, shrimp," he grinned, and Levy tilted her head a little, resting her cheek on her palm as she looked over to him, happy to see him with a genuine smile on his face. And laughing no less.

"Well that's not fair," she whined, "I hardly know a thing about you. Like who you were before all this." Levy said tentatively, "Or how even you got into the kind of thing you did." It was the only way she could think to try and ask about what he had said that morning.

With a handle hanging from his mouth, he looked over to her to study her for a moment. He had already been an ass that morning, and she had done so much for him already. She deserved whatever else he had to offer her. "Like I said, it's mostly pieces," he admitted. Levy was surprised, but pleased that he chose to answer her. "What I do remember, is that I was a punk," Gajeel smirked to himself.

Well, it wasn't an answer that surprised her. She hated judging by a cover, but his appearance didn't contradict with the story. Hard, studded features, an air of rough masculinity… It was all something someone could easily assume first looking at him. "So did you used to live here? In Magnolia?"

Gajeel nodded, munching on another handle. "Years ago."

"Did you really have no one to come looking for you? I mean… 6 years is a long time to be gone," she asked.

Gajeel shook his head, "Don't think so. Not that I remember or saw. That's probably why I was picked." He shrugged, like it was a conclusion he had come to a long time ago. "The rest I know is what I found in my profile, which must have had information I gave them and what they found on me themselves," he finished the handle, looking outside now, like he was trying to glean the details from the swirl of his thoughts. "Dropped out of school and got into nothin' but trouble, made my way getting in fights and stealing judging by my record. Lived out of my car I think, no home address. I do remember the posting for the study and taking it because of the money. It was supposed to be 6 weeks," he gestured to himself bitterly, "Obviously that was bullshit." The small pursing of her lips let him know he was dropping the mood again. "What I get for being a dropout." He could see her smile a little then, an action that brought an unreasonable amount of satisfaction. "Have you always lived here?"

Levy nodded, taking a bite of her dinner. "Born and raised, and I got the house a few years ago as an inheritance. All my friends live nearby, so I like it here," she smiled, "You already almost met Lucy."

"A fond memory," he replied with a grimace that meant the opposite. Still, she laughed at him.

"She's not so bad. She's kinda like a bunny."

He looked to her, sensing now that she was just talking to fill the space. It brought him a small comfort that she was just as unnerved as he was after the morning. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about it all day, eventually resorting to her books to try and get his mind off it. Which didn't work. Her words played on repeat in his thoughts, and it was a continuous internal battle trying to decide if she really meant what he thought she did. All efforts ended, repeatedly, in him cursing her subtlety. _Just be up front._ He had reprimanded to the air more than once. About as much as he reprimanded the poetry he tried to distract himself with.

But, he was one to talk, chickening out like he did that morning. He had plenty of opportunity to say something, but he didn't even know what he was supposed to say. The word love was not one that had really existed in his vocabulary, before or after the experiments, and it wasn't something he knew a thing about. But he did know that it was damn terrifying when it had fallen on her lips.

With his eyes on her, however, he felt like he was making his own definition of it as he went, whether he liked it or not. Levy had those big honey eyes on him, expecting him to say something else, watching him. Looking at him the way no one on this earth ever had, the way he never felt anyone should. Because _god_ she was this incredible, compassionate, bright, _beautiful_ creature that had bewitched him, entirely. He couldn't deny that any more. And he… he was a dragon she found in a cave, covered in scales of iron, now sitting at her dining table munching pieces of metal. He was all of those things and she didn't look at him like that at all.

The silence left Levy to shift uncomfortably under his gaze. Both of them had been looking at each other, quietly, longer than they realized, and she was the first to decide the table was suddenly very interesting. She might have been oblivious at times, but she was not oblivious to how the mood had changed and how he was looking at her. But, she couldn't focus fully on what was happening until she got her day's encounter off her chest. _I need to…_ "Gajeel, I think I need to tell you something."

Misinterpreting it to be something else, Gajeel jumped a little and shook his head quickly to cut her off as he turned more to face her, scooting his chair forward. She turned to face him in surprise. "No," he said simply. "I got somethin' I need to say first." _Go for it, damnit. Be a man for once._

His hand moved before he knew what he was doing, and her eyes went wide as he held her chin between his thumb and hooked forefinger to get her to look at him. _What, what is he doing!_ This is _not_ what she had planned for, and it trapped the words she needed to say in her throat.

Clear as day, he could hear her heart race, and he could hear her breath become staggered. His initial intention was just to hold her there, to look at her and speak directly, closely, and uninterrupted. He had found his nerve and he wasn't going to lose it again.

But his subconscious was not about to let him stop there, and before he knew it he was leaning in. _Gajeel…what are you doing?_ Levy's thoughts raced, screamed at her, but everything was going cloudy and she melted in his grip. Gajeel inhaled to focus on only her scent, and take in the sweet flowery smell that he had become very acquainted with. To give him the resolve to say what he wanted. To silence every doubt and worry as it had done so many times before. And the first thing he smelled _was_ that, as his eyes fluttered shut and she followed suit.

And then there was something else. Something that nearly stopped his heart cold and made his eyes fly open.

His touch, gentle just a second before, suddenly became assertive as he gripped her upper arms and pulled her mere inches from him. Not the way that Levy had found herself wanting him to. He sniffed again, particularly at her shoulder. "Gaj–?"

It took a second, a split moment, and he recoiled from her so violently that he knocked over his chair and hit the table noisily on his way up. Gajeel staggered backwards until he hit a counter, lifting an accusing finger at the very startled girl. "Th-that," he stammered, his voice cracking. "He can't…"

"Gajeel?!" Levy stood, raising her hands in front of her slowly, like trying to calm a frightened animal. Which, at this moment, was what he looked like. "Gajeel what's happening? What's wrong?" She tried to keep her voice even, calm. But she'd be lying if she said she wasn't frightened by the violent change.

"You," Gajeel hissed, his face a mixture of fury and terror. From his neck, grey scales started to appear and travel upwards, and his eyes blazed. "That smell, why the _fuck_ do you…" He tripped over his words, forcing them out. She could see his thoughts running faster than he could form words. "Levy, _why!"_ He shouted now. The use of her name, for the first time, struck her.

"Why _what_ , Gajeel? What did I _do?!_ " she cried.

His immediate, self-preserving instinct was that she had betrayed him. That everything up until this very instant was a lie. That she lied about everything, she used him, lured him in, and was about to _destroy_ him. But then there was a stronger part of him that cried out against that, be it desperate denial or reason. It raged against the prospect, a new beast he had cultivated within himself to fight the darkness that tried to possess him. It screamed into his thoughts, telling him don't you _dare_ hurt her and don't you _dare_ lump her in with them. Because there was no earthly possibility that she could have done such a thing. She was the light his life had lacked, his saving grace. But right now she was all of these things with the scent of the devil on her.

"Gajeel, please! Talk to me! What's going on?" she pleaded again, trying to take a step towards him and reach for him as she had in the past, but he flinched away from her like she might hit him, and it was like a shot through her heart. Her hand hovered uselessly in front of her, her eyes beginning to burn.

"You smell like _him,"_ he spat, a hand reaching up to dig iron claws into his hair. "That fucker, that… he's the one, Levy! He's the one that did this to me!" Gajeel's voice cracked again with utter, raw fear. He hunched forward, eyes blazing. "Why do you smell like _Jose?!"_ The venom all but dripped from his voice.

Immediately the man in the shop today came to mind and she went cold. She finally understood why he made her so uneasy, why he set off so many alarms. Why him seeing the journal had been so initially nerve-wracking. Her stomach dropped, and the tears started to spill over because _oh god_ she had screwed up. She should have told him the second she came in the door. "I saw him… today," she squeaked, shaking. Gajeel, in that moment, seemed to calm just enough to lean forward towards her, the smell of salt now assaulting his senses. It was her turn to flinch, involuntarily, and the flash of hurt made her regret it immediately. "Someone new came to the store today. That's what I tried to tell you. And he saw me with the journal yesterday…" Gajeel's eyes widened and his mouth went dry. "I'm so sorry, Gajeel," The tears fell freely now, a combination of fear, concern, and feeling as though she had somehow put him back where he used to be. "I was, I was going to the library yesterday and I ran into someone and I dropped it. And he saw it and, I'm sorry _please_ calm down Gajeel," she rambled, her brown eyes searching his face desperately for anything that had been in them moments before.

"He saw it." Gajeel fell back against the counter again, shaking uncontrollably. There were several seconds of stunned silence, before, "Damnit!" he roared, slamming a fist on the counter hard enough to dent it, making her jump. "He knows I'm alive. God damnit, he _knows where I am."_ He grit his fangs together, tangling both hands in his mane. "If he's come now, he's not alone," he muttered, horrified. "He waited, for the right time, and he's here for me."

 _Seven casualties._ The sudden thought was like an explosion, shattering everything she thought. Levy's thoughts started to swirl uncontrollably with the incriminating article she had read the day before, unable to focus on anything else. _Seven casualties._ She saw him like this in front of her and her heart broke. Because she didn't want to see him like this, this wasn't the Gajeel she had come to know; it wasn't the Gajeel she woke up to this morning. _Seven casualties._ This Gajeel had murderous rage in his eyes, and now more than ever she needed to know the truth. _Did he kill seven people?_

"Ga-jeel," the sob shook her and he lowered his hand from his head. His instincts screamed at him to go to her, and to stay away from her at the same time. "Are you the one that destroyed the lab? To get away from him? Is this how you were when they found all those people?"

The question was out of left field, and he went cold hearing that come from her. Gajeel's arms fell limp by his sides and his shoulders slumped in defeat, anguish taking over his face. "How do you…" his voice was barely more than a whisper.

"I found the article. In the library," she answered, her hands gripping each other in front of her chest, desperate for something to hold onto as she felt everything slipping away from her.

He tilted his head at her, eyes narrowed. "Do you think…?" he couldn't even finish it, because for the first time since that first encounter, she looked at him with fear. And who could blame her? He had gone zero to sixty in nothing flat, transformed in front of her, shouted at her, and put a hefty dent in her counter. On top of all that, she now knew the truth about the shut down and thought that _he_ was the one that did it. _She knows. And she thinks I…_

Levy had opened her mouth, trying to tell him that she didn't _know_ what to think. But she couldn't get it out. Every word turned to ash in her mouth, and the sobs replaced them. Her thoughts screamed at him to stay, to just _talk_ to her, but instead she gasped for air uselessly.

"I can't stay here," he finally said, eyes darting anxiously around him. "He knows," Gajeel mumbled. "He _knows_ I'm here. That I'm alive." His body coiled again. _She's better off._ A cruel, mirthless laugh fell from him and he swayed in place as though losing his balance, feeling his body start to go numb. He turned towards the doors.

"N-No, Gajeel, wait," Levy pleaded, hastily wiping the tears from her face.

In an instant, Gajeel whirled back on her, standing straight enough to assert his height. "I _am_ that monster in the dark. You're naive for thinking otherwise, I'm fuckin' glad you know the _truth_." Blazing red eyes looked down at her and she coughed out a guttural cry at the sight of him, utterly broken in front of her. "I can't stay here. I can't go back to that hell, _I won't_. Forget you knew me." It was the calmest thing to come out of his mouth through the whole exchange yet, and the resolve in it killed her. Absolutely killed her.

Levy lurched forward moments too late to stop him, as he flung open the double doors in the kitchen and raced out into the snow, disappearing into the darkness entirely. " _Gajeel!"_ Levy all but screamed into the void. In her desperation, a different thought dawned on her, that she wished like _hell_ she had said sooner. "Jose knows my name," she choked out, just as she heard keys scrape at her front door.

The door swung open, and she turned slowly to see a shocked, and ultimately concerned blonde in her doorway. Levy could see her lips moving, saying her name, and wondered how she looked in front of her friend. Sobbing in front of open doors as the snow wafted in, with the kitchen looking like an absolute mess. Lucy called out to her, but Levy couldn't hear her over the roaring in her ears. It only took a second for Lucy to rush over to her and take her by the shoulders, trying to speak to her friend. Levy could only choke out one more thing before she lost her composure and dropped to her knees.

" _I have to tell you something."_


	10. The Beast's Interlude

A/N: I've reordered more chapters! I much prefer, and feel way better having the Beast's Interlude be chapter 10, a nice middle. This is still very short because it is just a sort of intermission, but I love this chapter and the previous so much that I changed little aside from tweaking details.

* * *

"Damn it all!" A roar shook the damaged foundation, an iron fist swinging to knock a full desk across the lobby. His skull throbbed and burned with the tumultuous storm of emotions, roiling within him. Everything he thought he had, the peace he thought he had found, was ripped away from him in the kitchen. What a damn fool he was for thinking he could have a single thing he wanted.

Not only did he have his tormentor on his heels as well, but _she_ had revealed what she thought of him. Truly. That she thought he could have killed those people in cold blood. And it shouldn't really surprise him, because look at him. He had torn the room half to shit in the rage he couldn't control. It was better for her to think that this was all there was to him: that he was a murderer. Because maybe that kept her safer. He would draw Jose and all the evil that tailed him away from her life, and from Magnolia. The quiet little town that had put the horrors of this place to sleep and put its legends in discount fiction books. It was time to put it away for good, and with Jose after him, he could.

' _You're a person. Just as deserving of love and kindness as anyone else.'_

Her voice, soft, kind, and melodic invaded his thoughts in such a way that it had him staggering back. _No I'm not,_ the darker part of him shot back, but it was so much weaker than it had been in the past. So defeated.

' _Please stay here.'_

Gajeel's thoughts clawed feebly at the smoke and mirrors, how he had taken every word from her hook, line, and sinker. He tried, oh he tried, to make them lies. To tell himself she never meant a word of it and that he may as well have imagined it.

' _I don't think you're a monster.'_

"LIAR!" he screamed with a billow of steam into the cold air, dropping to his knees with both hands digging into his scalp. Gajeel hunched forward, his body shaking uncontrollably. _She does. She does think that. She thinks I'm a murderer. She's afraid of me._ "Damn it…" he hissed, a twinkle appearing on his cheek that dropped to the ground in front of him. "You're pathetic," the dragon scolded himself, voice weak enough that he felt sick. _How did I let one person do this to me? Is this supposed to be love? Because god damn, I don't want it._ His thoughts spun, and he hissed through his clenched teeth. It was clear, though, that he didn't have a choice.

Movement caught his eye, and when he raised his gaze he saw the black cat sitting quietly, calmly in front of him. A small shred of ease came over him, and slowly he reached out to gently pat the top of Lily's head. "Hey," he said, softly. His sides heaved as he tried to calm himself, to bring himself back down. Lily waited, patiently, as he always did.

Minutes passed, and Gajeel released a heavy sigh that seemed to alleviate the majority of his tension. "I need to go away, Lil,'" Gajeel finally said, his voice hoarse, "And you can't come." The black cat tilted his head slightly, his tail swishing suddenly behind him. "I know but, I got something I need you to do. Can you do that?"

 _He's a fucking cat. Why am I even bothering._ Gajeel shook his head, trying to push his thoughts aside. He knew why he bothered, because as much terrified rage he felt, he couldn't direct any of that at her. If anything, she had hurt him, deeply, but he couldn't blame her.

Foolish as this was, he needed it. "Look out for her, will ya?" he finally said. "She's not…she doesn't need to be a part of any of this. She deserves better." The man directed his eyes downwards, "Try and make her house a little less empty."

As much as his volatility wanted him to reject her, to paint her like the others and discredit her words…. there was no honest way that he could. Because she wasn't capable of any ill will. He knew that the accusation, the questions that had cut him so deep weren't malicious. She was afraid, and she asked him a question that she deserved an answer for, given that she had opened her safe space to him.

He realized now, now that he had fallen back into his pit, that Levy had saved him for a brief time. Despite what happened tonight. The short weeks he had known her, she possessed him, body and soul. Her touch, her voice, her scent, every aspect of her he craved in a way that grounded him to earth and made him feel human again. But it was selfish of him to rely on her like that, to expect that from her. Regardless of how much she had reciprocated, he still couldn't convince himself that it was any more than one-sided. The time had come where the reality of his condition, the life he had been condemned to, finally caught up. It was inevitable, and he was an idiot to think that he had left this place behind the night she shut those doors behind him and asked him to stay.

Still, it was a pleasant dream while it had lasted.

With a final pat on his cat's head, Gajeel rose and reached up to adjust the scarf in his hair. To his surprise, his fingertips only met black locks. He looked around him, quickly, only to notice the fabric partially buried the rubble he had created. Gajeel's first instinct was to pick it up, but he second guessed himself. He wanted to take it and cling to the sentiment, but it felt more appropriate to leave it in the dust.

There was another moment of hesitation, before Gajeel turned from the lobby, from Lily, and walked slowly out of the building. Outside, he looked up to the sky, obscured by thick, snow-laden clouds. Fat flakes fell onto his iron hide, and with closed eyes he inhaled deeply. It made the most sense that Jose would come here to seek him now that he knew he was alive. Which meant he needed to leave clear signs that he had been there recently.

He glanced back at the doorway had had emerged from and the fresh debris that he had thrown through it. That was a start. He turned the other way to look beyond the building to the back fence line, far across the snow-covered yard. Gajeel inhaled deeply, cracked his knuckles, and took off at a sprint towards the back. He kept close to the lab's wall and swung his left arm out to drag iron claws along the building like it was paper, leaving a trail of dust and cracked rubble in the snow. He cleared the yard, heading straight for the service gate at that back fence. Like a wrecking ball, he flew through the gate shoulder-first and continued to race off into the dark.


	11. Chapter 11

"Have you completely lost it?! _"_

"Can it, Natsu! Can't you see how she's feeling?" Lucy scolded the pink-haired boy sitting on the ottoman from her spot on the sofa next to the blunette. Lucy had hauled the sobbing, shaking girl over the the couch earlier, trying to make out anything she said. But she only repeated unintelligible words over and over, sometimes sounding like she had been saying a name in between sobs. It took her almost an hour to calm her breathing enough to speak. Afraid of losing her resolve again, Levy had spilled everything at once at her best friend. She detailed every visit from the day after the "attack," how she had asked him to stay with her, and what she knew about what was done to him. She kept some specifics to herself, not having the strength to admit how she felt to her friend.

Lucy tried to interrupt her several times, shocked more and more by each detail. Levy had to assure and halfway shout over and over that _no, he wasn't going to hurt me. He wouldn't hurt me. He's terrified, no_ listen _to me! Don't look at the counter, he wasn't going to hurt me!_

Lucy had called Natsu immediately after to come over, because this _wasn't_ something she could do alone. It was something they were _all_ involved in now, and Levy didn't have it in her to stop her. What did it matter now if he knew too?

Natsu puffed his cheeks and bit down on his lip to try and stem the vocal stampede that was threatening to rush forth. Lucy shot him one more warning look, before focusing on Levy. Truthfully, she felt the same as Natsu when she first told her. Had Levy told her normally, at any other time, she might have put her through the ringer for it all.

But she didn't. She was an absolute mess, and Lucy had no choice but to be gentle with her.

Still, Lucy's stomach was twisting uncontrollably throughout the entire conversation, and she felt absolutely sick that Levy had kept this from them, and had brought the source of their terror so close by no less. All this time, _the day of Halloween,_ he had been so close. The creature that chased them in the dark and provided her with enough nightmares for days, had been here, in this same house.

"I-I'm so sorry," Levy finally said into her hands, her voice hoarse. "I never meant for it to be like this. I never meant for it to become such a mess. I-I just… someone needed to do something, no one ever has." Slowly, she lifted her head to look at them both, and they were struck silent for a moment by the absolute devastation on her face. Lucy especially. There had been _one_ other time that she had seen Levy worse, and her gaze moved quickly to the unused hallway before looking back to her. "He's not what everyone thinks. What _you_ think. And I know that means nothing to you two, because all you saw was what happened that night. I understand how you feel, but he's not that." Her already red eyes started to water a little again, and Lucy resumed rubbing soothing circles on her back. "He's more than that. He's like us, he used to live here, he was normal once."

"Then why didn't you _tell us?"_ Natsu finally said, trying to keep his tone as non-judgmental as possible. "We're your _friends_ , Levy." The hint of hurt, offense on his tone stoked her shame.

Levy bit her lip guiltily. "Can you blame me?" she practically squeaked. "Especially with your dad being who he is?"

Natsu, reactive as he was, opened his mouth to say something else but Lucy lifted her hand quickly to give him pause. Natsu cocked his head at her in silent question, but after a moment, he conceded. He liked to think his father was separate from this, but he would have been a terrifying person to have discover her secret.

After all, that was why the three of them agreed to keep it quiet in the first place, because of how bizarre it all was and how much trouble they could have gotten into. Lucy could imagine the weight Levy, with all her kindness, would have felt trying to keep the man safe from both the world and them.

"I know I lied to you, I was just trying to do the right thing." Levy swallowed hard and hung her head in her hands again, "But it got so complicated, so…" she trailed off and Lucy looked to her suddenly, leaving Natsu in the dark. He tilted his head, watching the thoughts fly across Lucy's face before she settled on some kind of realization. Lucy's eyes went wide, and she glanced to Natsu who could only mouth the word 'what?' to her. The blonde shook her head quickly, silencing him. Because he of course didn't get it, but Levy wouldn't have to say another word for Lucy to understand. "I accused him of something _terrible_ , and I put him in danger. Who knows what's going to happen to him now," her voice cracked again and the tears fell once more. "I screwed up. He was so…" she coughed out a whimper, "I really, really screwed up."

"Hey!" Natsu finally called to her, breaking her out of her thoughts. He was done being silenced by the blonde. "Didn't you hear what I said?" he called her attention back up from her hands. "We're your _friends._ " The words came out slow, deliberate, "I'm miffed that you hid this from us, and I'm not gonna let you forget it. For, at least a few months. But you didn't 'betray' us."

Levy's eyes widened a little as he flashed her a toothy smile, and she looked to Lucy for affirmation. Her best friend put on a warm smile as well, and nodded.

"Levy… this is not easy. But we trust you. I know you. You can find the good in anyone. And if you saw something in this Gajeel person, then something is there." Lucy had waited anxiously all through high school for Levy to find someone. You know, like any best friend does. There had been drive-by crushes and interests here and there, but the blunette was a particular type, and it wasn't easy for someone to catch and hold her romantic attention. Despite that, she cared deeply, for just about everyone. It was inevitable that she would find someone on which to pour all her heart, and that when she did, it would be with great immoderation. It all made sense now.

The blunette watched Natsu nod in agreement with a kind smirk, and she leaned over into Lucy as she put her hand over her eyes. "You guys…" she choked, the hot tears spilling forward again. "Thank you."

Lucy hummed in acknowledgement, "Of course, Levy." She smiled again, gently. "Now, how can we help?"

Levy was beyond moved by the offer, and now couldn't help feeling terribly for thinking her own friends couldn't or wouldn't understand. Or be willing to stand by her. Having that kind of support took a great deal of the weight off her back and lit a spark of hope in her that allowed her to turn her thoughts back to her dragon, and the mustached man–Jose–that sent him into oblivion. Her chest tightened as the image of Gajeel's face surfaced clearly, and even more so when thinking of the threat that had driven him away. The threat that knew her face and her name. _He won't come for me. And I can't tell them he knows, it could put them in danger too. Knowing his name is good enough for now._

What Gajeel needed was some kind of protection, but how was she going to do that? What could someone like her possibly do for him when what he's wrapped up in is far bigger than any of them could even comprehend?

None of that changed the fact that he needed her help. Hell if she knew how she was going to do it, but _none of that mattered_. Levy looked up with hope and determination in her puffy eyes, smiling gratefully to her friends. "I need to find him. I need…" She paused, "I need to do more research."

There was no sleep to be had for Levy that night, unlike the slumbering blonde next to her. Her thoughts raced, and she couldn't get him out of her head. Their final moments played over and over on a loop, and every time she closed her eyes, he was all she saw. Asking her why. _Why did I say that. Why then._

There was no guarantee that he would even want to see her when she went back, let alone even be there in the first place. With how distressed he had been, she would have been surprised if he was still at the lab. But she would never forgive herself if she gave up, and didn't at least try to find him there. If anything, she might find something there that would help her track him now.

The faint light outside provided some relief for her, as it signaled the end of _hours_ of pulling herself apart under the guise of sleep. At the crack of dawn, she slipped out of bed and wrote Lucy and Natsu–who was currently passed out in the living room–a hasty note.

 _Went to the lab. I need to go alone, in case he is there. I made a promise, please understand. I will be back by noon. Thank you so much._

– _Levy_

With a knot in her stomach, she left it on the pillow next to Lucy, and quietly slipped into heavy layers and her warmest boots before sneaking out in the golden morning light.

It took the small woman much longer to arrive at the frosted fence with the heavy layer of snow coating the woods, but the snowfall had let up overnight and the sky was clear of clouds. It did nothing to curb the chill, but it helped her on her journey. Even if just a little. It took everything she had to not lose her resolve, but she admittedly lost her composure more than once after stumbling on a snow-covered root. In her desperation, she half expected, and wholly hoped, for him to appear from the wood to lift her up, reprimand her, and call her _shrimp_ before taking them back.

But soon enough, she found herself, and her silence, standing in front of the destroyed hole in the fence. She took several moments to even out her breathing, the fog passing in front of her very flushed face. Levy slowly moved her gaze over the grounds, taking in the looming two-story building, the empty grounds, and the path of rubble and disturbed snow leading to what looked like a destroyed gate in the back she hadn't noticed before.

Despite the dread that seeped into her, she headed for the gaping entrance, and she saw the extent of recent disturbance. The snow outside the entrance was violently torn up, all the way down to the dirt underneath. Debris from inside was now outside and littered the snow. Slowly, she stepped inside and found the lobby was in a greater state of ruin than it had been before. Which was saying something.

Desks were smashed, chairs flung across the room. The air was heavy with freshly stirred must. _What did he…_ In her mind's eye she saw her gentle dragon in a rage, destroying anything he could inconsequentially take his anger out upon. It was a violence she did not want to imagine, and the fact that she had been the catalyst for it was nigh unbearable. She felt like she was going to be sick.

Levy stood rooted, with a hand to her chest, in the middle of the atrium. "Gajeel?" she projected, unsure, her voice echoing within the walls.

Levy waited, knowing her voice could not possibly travel through the entirety of the impossibly large structure. But she knew him and what he could do. If he was here, he would hear her, no matter how weak her voice was.

Nothing answered her but dead silence and the sound of a brushing breeze outside. Not even a sign of the small black cat. Levy felt a lump rise in her throat as her prediction started to assemble in front of her. There was silence. "Gajeel!" Levy called out again, walking forward now through the fresh rubble.

Still nothing.

Something on the floor caught her eye, however, and she slowly stepped over to see what it was. As she kneeled down and took the item up in her hands, her heart fell. Levy's eyes burned as the realization became more clear and her fears became tangible. In her hand was the red and white scarf she had given him, frayed and marred with dirt. _He's not here._ Levy brought the scarf to her face, trying to smother the tears that had started to spill over. _Gajeel… There's so much I didn't say, please._ But she couldn't fall apart, not now. She had things to do.

Desperately, she swept her gaze around the room again, refreshing herself on every detail. Enough dust still lingered in the air, creating shafts of light from the clouded windows that extended upwards towards the high roof of the lab's small atrium. To her right, she could see the dark doorway that led into the underbelly of the facility and swallowed hard. Slowly, she looked to the left, noting again the large, damaged staircase that led upwards. The one she had wondered about so many times before. Levy had talked herself out of it because it didn't look safe before, but now that just seemed so silly.

Levy clenched her fist around the scarf and all but ran to the stairwell and haphazardly scaled them, skipping steps when needed and clinging to the railing with the hope it continued to hold. Everything else around her faded away in light of her new target, and she stepped through the doorless entrance.

As she stepped onto the second floor, she found herself with three different halls to choose from: two short ones to the left and right that curved somewhere to hallways beyond, and one long one straight ahead. Levy took a second to stand there and take in the scene in front of her, lit dimly by skylights and a few windows.

Doors were completely ripped off their hinges and tossed aside like trash, walls had massive holes smashed into them. The hall directly ahead of her, however, looked far worse than any of the rest. More than halfway down that hall, which she felt must have led all the way to the other side of the building, a massive hole was ripped open in the floor, and straight up through the ceiling. Every surface around that destruction was charred black, and daylight cascaded in a shaft through the opening. There was a whole other sector of the lab she hadn't been to, because she didn't remember seeing anywhere with that level of damage.

She had a feeling that whatever rampage that had been the ultimate downfall of Jupiter Technology, ended on this floor. Stepping over rubble and debris, she went left first down the short hallway and found nothing but supply rooms and janitorial closets. She furrowed her brow, frustrated, and doubled back to the main hall again. She hadn't wanted to head that way just for the level of damage, but it was evident she had to.

As she moved forward, she noticed that many of the doorways had plaques next to them with names, or looked like they might have at one point. _Offices?_ she thought, multiple with names she didn't recognize.

The further she got, the worse the damage was as well, and in it's own dark way it was promising for what she was ultimately looking for. Finally, one nameplate stopped her dead in her tracks. It was smashed in half and hung loosely from the damaged wall. The first name with its title, however, was more than clear to her.

 _Dr. Jose-_

Her eyes narrowed and looked beyond the gaping hole in the wall to the destroyed office; the door, charred black, was melted shut. The desk was broken clear in half, and there were deep slashes in the walls. At least three semi-recognizable bookshelves and a filing cabinet were in the office, but only one still stood; the other had been tipped over. Levy ducked through the hole in the wall, and maneuvered back to the standing shelf. She brushed away the thick layer of dust–partly age, partly from the destruction–from the books that were still on the shelf. Most were textbooks, and not particularly what she was looking for.

Peaking under the partially toppled shelves, she saw more textbooks and frowned. _This isn't what I need,_ she thought, before finally lifting her eyes to the file cabinet, dented and leaning sideways against the wall. Several of the drawers were already extended, likely as a result of the trauma the unit had suffered. They were empty. The very bottom drawer, however, was the one that interested her most: it was the only one with a keyhole. But it wasn't just left open, it looked like something, or someone, had literally ripped it open. Like a crudely opened package. _Gajeel…_

Levy thought a moment, before wrapping the dirty headband around her right hand and grabbing what was left of the rusted handle. She pulled hard, and after several tries yanked the drawer open with a protesting screech. The blunette was more than pleased to find that inside was a thick stack of black-covered notebooks much like the one Gajeel had brought her. Behind the stack, was a substantial amount of paperwork, divided up by year and month, and one divider labeled "Participants: X Class." Behind it were several folders, each with the X-number designations she had seen before. Right there, amongst others, was his: X777. His was much thinner than the others, until she remembered what he had told her. The other files still had the subject's original information: who they were before Jupiter. Gajeel had destroyed his. She figured he went looking for answers on who he was and sought that part of his file only.

Her hands moved first to the books, grabbing the one at the front of the drawer with the hope that it was the most recent. The book crackled in protest as she pulled it open to one of the last pages. The handwriting was noticeably messier than the one she had read before.

 _August 29th, 2012_

 _Finally. The lacrima channels appear to at last be fully functional in all subjects and have fully integrated. Infusions are no longer necessary, all that has been dosed to our subjects are now part of their systems. They are cycling on their own and powering their own implants. Full conversion was maintained by multiple subjects at the last trial, with best control exhibited by X777. Each surviving subject has been a treat, and the roulette of discovering how the lacrima implants affect each has been a scientist's_ _dream_ _ **.**_ _I cannot fully express the pride I feel at the success of this study, and this data is going to make us a_ _fortune_ _ **.**_

 _Nearly all subjects are responding well to the revised conditioning process and outbursts have been reduced to less than 5 a week between all subjects. X777 continues to be the most stubborn, but this issue is insignificant compared to our progress, and he faces well against X772; their clashes are stunning. X761 has become no less defiant, however through our trials we have learned how to muzzle him, as it were. Better, we have learned how to harness his abilities for our own uses. Operating costs have fallen significantly!_

 _Digressing, field trials have yielded valuable data in a nearly uncontrolled environment, however our issue continues to be stopping each round in time. We lost one subject last week in the pit. Our subjects exhibit exactly what we need from them, for their purpose, but stopping them proves a challenge. This is not, however, enough to set us back. On the battlefield, they need only be pointed in a direction. In those situations they do not need to be stopped before killing another._

 _I am making the final preparations to submit my work; I am so close to the summit, I can taste it. The applications of the lacrima channels and infusions are limitless. The potential to weaponize is astronomical, and the negotiations to sell each subject are already rolling forward. With great compensation. Funds should double with the publication, allowing us to take in even more subjects and continue making our weapons._

 _This only goes to show that all the ethical red tape only_ _limits_ _research. Once the paper is published they will all see, and the ethical board will understand the mistakes they have made._

 _I will make them understand._

Levy rocked back to sit flat on the floor, and rested her back against the demolished desk. Her free hand cleared the blue locks from her face and she stared straight ahead for a moment. Her thoughts spun, trying to absorb what she just read. _There's that word again, 'lacrima.' Is that how they made them able to do what they do?_ she thought, having finally confirmed the root of all of it, even if she suspected. The purpose of the experiments. They were weapons. Tools.

Quickly, she set the book aside and delved back into the drawer, flipping through the folder tabs a little more carefully. And sure enough: "Lacrima Specifications."

She pulled it out, and settled it onto her lap. It didn't look like the full document they planned to publish, which wasn't surprising. Something like that was far more likely to be digital, or somehow taken during the collapse. _Likely all of this information has several digital copies somewhere, they wouldn't have just left this otherwise._ This just seemed to be a reference document, a copy from a text that might have been the scaffolding for the project. Her eyes scanned over the paper, brows furrowing while she tried to focus.

' _Medium that can be implanted directly into subjects or compounded into intravenous injections.'_

' _Previously indicated to amplify latent abilities.'_

' _Have been shown to allow manipulation of certain elements, at random.'_

' _Some users can convert states to match designated elements.'_

' _Side effects include relying on, even craving designated elements for sustenance. Difficulty controlling anger in high stress events.'_

' _Provide the user with enhanced senses and strength.'_

' _Significant fatalities amongst incompatible users.'_

' _Eventual integration of compound and implants that allow subjects to sustain changes, on a genetic level, long-term without further intervention.'_

It all made sense. Everything that she had read made sense with this piece. And she finally understood why Gajeel was so afraid of this person. Not only had Jose been the source of his torment, but there easily could have been a whole other world of torture in store for him if the lab hadn't been shut down. And this man, after three years, had returned. Presumably to reclaim what he thought belonged to him. Which meant she couldn't stay here or any longer or expect Gajeel to come back here. The lab wasn't safe and she needed to leave it behind.

It also meant she needed to take as much of this with her as possible. If she had any hope of helping him, of getting help _for_ him, she needed to keep as much of this as she could.

With new resolve, Levy grabbed his folder, the lacrima folder, and as many of the journals she could fit into the bag she bought with her.

Levy had to steel herself for the onslaught when she returned home with literature in hand. She mumbled sorry so many times it stopped feeling like a word. More than once both exclaimed that her note was the only reason they hadn't called the police. She had tried to protest, to beg them to listen because they had so little time to waste, they couldn't waste it fighting. So she gave up and just took off her backpack, pulled out one folder, and plopped it onto her kitchen table. "Look at it." was all she said, seriously enough that they stopped talking immediately and slowly approached to look inside.

"So he's superhuman," Natsu said finally, his wonder betraying him.

"Essentially, yes. He's been implanted, against his will, with this lacrima stuff, and it's given him these abilities. His element is iron, who knows what kind of other elements the other subjects have. That explains his abilities and the fact that he eats it." Lucy and Natsu both shot her open-mouthed looks, and she was reminded of the details she hadn't told them yet. "He eats iron, and can live off it," she added quickly, trying to move past what she already knew. "I think with all of this there might be a way to do something. Because this is all _so illegal._ Not to mention inhumane," Levy explained, holding up her stack of proof, "If Jose is still out there we can nail him with this."

Natsu took a deep breath, staring at the file for several moments longer. "My dad can help," he offered, and Lucy looked to him.

"Do you really want to tell Igneel? We did something illegal too, remember?" Lucy cautioned.

"I know. But this is way bigger than that, bigger than what we did. We can all see that, right?" he looked to them both, and could tell by Levy's face that he didn't need to convince her. "He's the police chief, and he can do something about this. He can help, maybe what we have found already will be enough to distract him from what _we_ did, and save me from a very long lecture and moving back home..." Natsu trailed off with a grimace. Living on his own was infinitely more enjoyable, but he was no stranger to mischief and he was already on thin ice with his father thanks to several house parties. No boy his age wanted to move back in with a parent, no matter how much he liked the old man.

The blunette mulled over it for a moment, before shaking her head. "We can't take this to him until we have proof that Jose is even here," Levy finally said. "All it'll do is put Gajeel in danger. We need the person responsible to be the focus for all this, not Gajeel." She didn't want to wait, but she had to be realistic. She had no idea where to find Gajeel, where he would have gone, and she didn't have any idea who Jose was other than that encounter in her store, and the fact Gajeel thought she smelled like him. He may have known her name, but that was it. She had convinced herself that she would be fine in the meantime. After all, Gajeel was no longer here, what reason had he to find her now?

"Right," Natsu agreed.

Lucy nodded in agreement, as well before looking back to Levy. "I take it he wasn't there," she remarked, gently. Levy gave her a quiet, dejected shake of her head. "Did you find any clues on how you're going to find him?"

Levy's gaze dropped back to the floor with another shake of her head. "No." The word left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was not something she was thrilled to admit, and it only left her feeling just as poorly as before. "All we have is this. And Jose. As much as it hurts me, he's our best shot," Levy added, looking back to her friends. "Thank you, for staying with me. And I'm sorry for everything…but I just need time to figure this out, you guys don't have to stay. I'm sure you have things to do." She mustered up the best smile she could manage, and she knew that Lucy would see right through her.

But Lucy also knew when to give her the space she needed. And with a nudge to Natsu, she nodded her head towards the door. He looked reluctant, and looked to Levy for affirmation.

"Really, I promise. You guys were here all night. I'm fine. I just have a lot of reading to do," Levy insisted, as Lucy took him by the arm and started to pull him out.

"If you pull something else like this I'm not gonna let you off easy, Levy. Call me if you come up with anything," Lucy called over her shoulder on the way out the door. "We'll be back to check in later." She beckoned to Natsu, who looked uninclined to leave, but a glare from Lucy was all he needed to convince him.

The moment the door closed and clicked, Levy's smile fell. She exhaled the tension from her body and quietly padded down the hall to her room. She dropped her bag onto the floor by her bed with a heavy thud and stared quietly at her window. Those torturous tears pricked at her eyes again and she shook, trying to stifle it. _Where have you gone, Gajeel?_

Realizing now how painfully dry her throat was, she returned to her kitchen, desperate for water and a distraction. She was mid gulp when she heard a scratching at the double doors. Adrenaline surged through her, flipping her stomach as she whirled to face the doors. But outside, she did not see the towering man. Just, open air.

Honey-colored eyes trailed down the length of the doors, before settling on a black creature at the bottom, a dark gaze fixed on her expectantly. It took her a moment to register, until she saw the scar on the left side of his face. " _Lily?"_ she gasped, rushing to the doors to throw them open. The cat casually strolled inside, leaping up to the kitchen table as Levy closed the door behind him. He wrapped his tail around himself, and stared quietly at Levy.

She turned to stare back at the cat, a sudden dread rising in her. If he was here, that could only mean, "He left you behind too." Levy stated, realizing she was talking to a cat. He only answered her with a rough _mrow._

The fact that he was here, that this little creature had found his way to her home instead of waiting for his large companion spoke everything she had been afraid to admit. If he had left the lab, then this was the very last nail in her fear's coffin. This was it. He had no reason at all to be there anymore.

Levy moved forward slowly, reaching out to lift him carefully by the armpits. To her relief, the cat did not protest as she held him in her arms, clutching him to her chest and pressing a damp cheek into his sleek, black fur.

Here, in her little-big, quiet house, there was no way for her to keep running from it. Especially with this final, devastating development. _You have to say it. You have to say it so it's real._ "He's gone," she said aloud, her voice cracking slightly. "I don't know if he's coming back." Levy shut her eyes, forcing the tears down her face. "And I, god, I think I love him."


	12. Chapter 12

It had been nearly a week and a half since that night in her kitchen. The first few days after the incident, the skies had remained clear and she had been able to make her way out to the facility to keep looking for him. She hoped with everything she had that one day she would find him there as she had before. Levy was relentlessly determined to find him, so much so that she considered fanning out her search, looking past the facility with the idea that he might have had some other shelter to hide in. But even with the let up in the weather, she couldn't safely go farther than the grounds. She didn't know the area at all, didn't have the equipment, and with the snow layer _everything_ looked the same.

She had tried, on one of the earlier days, to follow the service road at the back. She hadn't forgotten the fresh destruction that led a trail to the demolished gate. It hadn't been like that any other time she came to the grounds, and it was worth following the only trail he left. It helped that it was easier to walk on the buried pavement, but she lost signal on her cell phone after walking for about ten minutes. What she did gather, was that the trail Gajeel left was _very_ deliberate. Because once past the gate, there was no sign of him except the hint of old footprints, which eventually veered off into the woods and were lost entirely. She couldn't reasonably follow such an unreliable trail, and with no way of communicating, she was forced to turn back.

The next day, the snow returned with a vengeance. Still, she tried, but made it less than halfway there before her sense urged her back home. She'd suffered over the incredibly difficult moment, trying and wanting to push herself, but she had started to lose sensation in her fingers and up to her knees. It did no one any good, least of all Gajeel, to be lost in the snow. She had to concede to the fact that she couldn't make it out there anymore, as much as it tore her up inside.

The following days when she was trapped between her home and work were even more excruciating. There was some solace to be found in visits from Lucy and adjusting to her sudden new pet(which was fun to explain to Lucy), but with no further sign of Gajeel and the cold trail left by the sinister scientist, there was little peace for the booky bluenette. She had read through the journals more times than she could count, but no more answers came to her. They had no real proof that anything was starting again, and she was too afraid of risking Gajeel's safety to go straight to Natsu's father for help before they had anything concrete. There had been absolutely no sign of Jose, and thus they were left with nothing.

All she could do was keep rereading and telling herself she had missed something.

At one point, somewhere after the one week mark, she finally had to force herself to stop and reel herself back into her own life. She was skipping meals, she'd been late to work... just because she was so unfocused. Only when she paused did she realize how out of touch she was.

Levy looked up from her book, nestled on the couch with Lily lying across the top, and stared absently across her living room. _What do I do? What if he doesn't want to be found? What if I need to just move on?_ The girl frowned suddenly and shook her head, lifting her book to rap herself on the forehead with it. The thought felt like a betrayal. That was not something she could live with. Call her a bleeding heart, but she couldn't just give up like that. Neither her conscience, nor her dreams, could ever let her.

And oh, the dreams. Nightly she dreamt of him, and Levy couldn't settle on whether it was a gift or a curse. It was usually the same thing, reliving that morning in her living room. She saw him smiling at her, felt him holding her hand. She would watch him speak, grin at her, but never heard anything that he said. The dream was always silent; like that was the best way her subconscious could capture it. Pure peace; silent ease. The tenderness shared between them and the safety she felt next to him weren't the worst things to revisit. But waking up, cold and alone save for a black ball of fur at her feet, definitely was.

Then, every now and again, there were the dreams that reminded her of what she had done. The horrible thing she had said, the information she didn't give to him fast enough, the things she didn't say in time. These dreams were dark and loud. She was on her knees every time, struggling to get up but her legs wouldn't obey. He was there, fully iron, standing in darkness and roaring her name. Asking her why, always asking her _how could she._ She would fly awake, the roar in her ears indistinguishable from her racing heart.

She tried avoiding sleep, but it made no difference. When darkness crept in, and the lights extinguished for the evening, the dull ache set in. He made the house smaller, less quiet. Now, more than ever, the dark was more foreboding, knowing there was a true beast out there that knew her face. The quiet made it hard to breathe. After the taste of what a fuller home could feel like, she couldn't bear the solitude. She didn't want to beg Lucy to stay, because she had stayed so many times already, she had home sometime. The only comfort for her now were locked doors, caring for the small cat, and her books.

 _I'm not giving up on him. He deserves more than that,_ she thought to herself, looking up to Lily. He had opened his dark eyes to look down at her, calmly, from the top of the sofa, the tip of his tail swaying quietly. "I'm sure you miss him too," Levy said softly. The quiet stare persisted. "I'm going to get your friend back, Lily. Don't you worry." Levy put on a small smile, grateful for the live-in reminder of the mission she had set for herself. Crazy as it was, she found more comfort than she would admit aloud from talking to the cat. He seemed overly interested in her and was always on her heels around the house, so she found herself talking to him more and more. As distressing as his arrival had initially been, she was now grateful for it.

A knock at the door roused her suddenly from her spot on the sofa, and she glanced at the time. It was mid afternoon, so not a bizarre time at all for someone to be coming by. Levy brushed some hair from her face and set her book aside on the way to the door, "Just a moment!" she called, clicking open her locks and pulling the door open as a cold wind bit at her cheeks.

Levy felt the blood drain from her face when she saw the man on the other side of the door.

"Hello, Miss McGarden." A sickening smile spread on very sharp features, both hands clasped behind his back as he leaned forward slightly and tilted his head. "I don't believe I need to introduce myself?"

In that moment she felt like she might lose the contents of her stomach. _He found me. He. Found. Me._ her thoughts spiralled for a few seconds, before her instincts caught up with her, and her grip tightened on her door and she willed a calmness onto her likely colorless face.

Jose furrowed his brow, "What? No words now that I'm finally here? You've been looking for me, haven't you?" He knew the answer to that. She could hear it on his voice, he was playing with her already and she wanted no part of it. Not an ounce.

Levy inhaled, steadying herself. "I don't know what you're," on the last syllable, she swung the door shut mid-sentence with everything she had. Defiance, fueled by survival adrenaline, sung through her.

But it was short lived.

To her horror, the door hit resistance hard enough to send her staggering backwards: he had already inched his boot into the doorway to stop it. She hadn't even noticed.

The man chuckled gleefully and took a step forward. "Now now, we don't need to be so rude," he tsked, wagging a chiding finger at her. "I am just looking for something of mine. Something I lost some time ago. Something I'm fairly certain you can help me find?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she finished what she had started to say before, "and I don't know who you are. You have the wrong house, and my parents are going to be home any minute," Levy said, tight-lipped. She backed away a step, having lost her hold on the door.

"You can abandon the clueless act, it's unbecoming. I've had time, and I know all about you, Levy. No one is coming home." Jose, standing a step inside her doorway, gripped the doorknob and leaned on it slightly. "You're going to tell me where he is," he commanded, a shadow falling on his face, "Or you will help me find him. Your choice."

" _Never_." With fiery determination on her face, she grabbed the hallway table and pulled it over as she sprinted back to her room. She slammed her door shut and locked it, looking frantically around the space. Finally, she grabbed a pen and one of the notebooks from the nightstand, opening it to the front cover. Crudely, she scribbled, ' _He found me'_ and shoved her insurance under her pillows. She kicked her bag with everything she had taken from the lab under her bed as far as she could. One more time she swept her eyes around the room and cursed under her breath; her phone was in the living room still. Running, it seemed, was her only option.

The woman turned her attention to her window as her doorknob started to shake violently. "Miss McGarden!" Jose drew out the last syllable of her name, sounding more pleased than made her comfortable. "Please don't make this any more difficult than necessary," his voice called from the other side of the door, chilling her. She pulled her icy window open and desperately forced herself though with far more ease than the last person she had tried to squeeze through there. Now was the only time her size had been a blessing.

The chill assaulted her as she fell face first into the snow, freezing the bare skin her t-shirt didn't cover. At the very least she had on thick, cotton pants to protect her legs, hopefully, long enough for the sprint she was about to make. She only needed to make it to town, to anyone. Surely if they had witnesses he would back off for his own secrecy, and then, then she would go to Igneel.

Levy scrambled to her feet, looking at the window behind her as she started to run. Inside, she saw Jose in her doorway, but he wasn't running for the window. No, he just smiled at her.

She tried to run as best she could through the snow, and the moment she turned to face forward she slammed straight into a wall, knocking the wind out of herself. Levy fell backwards, right back into the snow, blinking the stars from her eyes. She gasped for the air she had lost, looking up to see a man with short, black hair in front of her. He gave her no time to make out who he was, before something dark lashed out and struck the side of her neck, sending pain shooting through her like an arrow. Everything went black, and Levy went limp in the snow.

* * *

A quick, double-knock at the solid wooden door stirred the fiery redhead from the papers at his desk. He removed the glasses from his scruffed face and leaned forward on his elbows, "Come in," Igneel called tentatively, hazel eyes watching none other than his son come through the door. It was uncommon enough that Natsu would come here at all, but the obvious shallowness of his breaths set him on edge immediately. Still, he kept his tone calm, "Natsu? What brings you here?"

The boy wrung his hands together nervously, the words he needed to say heavy on his tongue. "Hey dad," his slow, uncertain tone was one Igneel was more than familiar with. But it still worried him no less.

"What did you do?" he asked, frankly. Natsu bounced on his feet a little, and it was then that his father noticed the paleness on his face. The jitter in his hands. "Out with it, Natsu," Igneel ordered firmly.

Natsu gulped, making solid eye-contact with the police chief. "Pops, Levy is in trouble."

There was a moment of pause, and a flash of concern finally slipped onto the older man's face. "What kind of trouble? That's unlike her."

He took a deep breath, and when he opened his mouth, everything came out in a rush. "Look, I know what this sounds like but I need you to listen to me. And I know I'm in trouble for even going there, but Levy is missing. We went there that one night and we found something _weird_ there but we thought we had put it to bed. But then she told us about this guy that she found there. And these powers he has because of some kind of experiments, and she only told us what she knew about the place-"

" _Natsu_ ," his father stopped his rambling son with a low warning, "Stop, you're not making any sense. _Where_ did you go? How long has she been missing?" Igneel kept a dangerous calm in his tone to try and offset the boy's shock, and though his son had a penchant for mischief, he now had his full attention. It was clear that he was shaken, trying to get all the information out at once, but putting it in order was a challenge.

"The old lab," Natsu finally clarified, and Igneel went stiff. "Levy said it was called Jupiter something, and she was looking into it a lot after we went," Natsu spoke as quickly as he could, and the more he said, the darker his father's face became. "And then she told us about this guy named Jose that she saw in town, and I think he might have something to do with–"

The chief's chair scraped across the wooden floor as he stood abruptly, both palms resting on his desk. "Who?" Igneel snapped, cutting the boy off. "Did she give you a last name?"

Natsu blinked, choked a little by his reaction. "In the notes, it said Jose Porla."

The name seemed to strike a blow on Igneel and he flinched. After a moment, he leaned forward, narrowing his eyes considerably. "Are you _sure_?" his deep voice rumbled. The recognition was not the reaction that Natsu had expected, and for a moment too long he stared slack-jawed at his father. "Natsu!" Igneel snapped impatiently. "You need to tell me right now how you have any of this information. _Any of it._ This isn't a joke: how do you know any of this?" Something else seemed to catch up to him as the gears turned, processing the information. " _How long_ has she been missing? How deep was she in all of this?"

"I don't know, maybe a day," Natsu answered, his voice wavering as urgency settled onto his father's posture "We saw her last night, and Lucy went over tonight after work and says she left behind her phone, her bag, everything. She found a note under her pillow, all it said was 'he found me,'" Natsu explained. "She definitely told us that name. She was in deep. We only know all these details because of Levy. All this time she had been trying to find out whatever she could, because of the guy we found there: Gajeel. She'd had him staying with her. Levy said he took off after she had run into Jose."

Igneel cursed, "She had _who_ at her house?" Every word out of his son's mouth was more kindling to the fire in his head. He shook his head quickly, "You should have come to me with this _immediately_." The edge in his voice looked like it struck the boy with each word. But there was little he could do about it now. Because he had a much bigger problem. "Damn it." He turned from Natsu, stepping back to one of the many filing cabinets lined up behind his desk. "I thought we were done with this. That it had gone cold. To think he would be as brazen as to…"

"Pops?" Natsu called to him, but not immediate answer. "Dad, you know about all of this?"

"Of course I do," he barked back over his shoulder before resuming leafing through several folders. "Magnolia had a massive missing person's crisis years ago. It was one after the other, all of them were young adults and all of them had no connections: no family, few friends. It took forever for us to even get wind of their disappearances and it was usually through landlords. Who knows how many more we never heard about, some were just speculation: residents we knew lived here in cars or alleys, but just stopped being seen years ago." Igneel's tone dropped slightly, "The disappearances stopped when the lab was destroyed and we found some evidence that some of the missing people had been there, but none of them were actually found. It was the only solid connection we could make. The building was condemned, half of it we could never get to. Though it seems Levy found the cracks we didn't." Igneel finally seemed to find what he was looking for and pulled out a thick file and dropped it onto his desk. "I never wanted to touch this again," he muttered under his breath. "Levy may not have family but she still doesn't fully fit the bill of their usual targets," he mused, flipping open the manila folder and glancing up to Natsu, "You said she found someone in the facility? A Gajeel?"

Natsu nodded, "We all found him, just before Halloween. He chased us off but she went back after. She said she's been taking care of him since, but like I said, he disappeared after she met Jose."

For all he knew about Levy, none of it was surprising. Neither was the fact the three of them headed out there to snoop to begin with, as frustrating as it was to a father. He flipped through the stack of papers on his desk, knowing he had read the name before. Finally, Igneel dipped his head and tapped the print, "Right here. Gajeel Redfox. He was one of the unconfirmed, but he was well enough known around town that people noticed when he left. No surviving family, more enemies than friends. We had no proof of a connection to the facility, so we thought he left town."

Natsu swallowed hard, not quite expecting to have dug up _this much_. "She brought a whole bunch of notebooks from the place after he left, that's why she wanted to go when we went the first time. She thought she might find something that would help her find him, but it was all just details on what they did to them." The boy paused, heavily, "They're not human anymore, dad."

"She knows things she shouldn't," Igneel stated ominously, "And she's gone ahead and got herself way more involved than she should be. From Porla's perspective she's the only link he has to valuable property. And she loosely matches up to just the type of person they used to target. It makes perfect sense that he'd take her." Natsu tilted his head in questioning. "They were going to sell the procedures for a fortune, that's likely why we didn't find any of them after the close-out. That's not something they are going to let go easy, but they all just disappeared after."

Natsu swallowed hard, dread turning his stomach, "She's in more trouble than we thought."

"Much more," he responded lowly, paging through the file. "Her life's in danger and if we ever want to see her again we need to work fast." Natsu watched him move past several photos of men and women, presumably the people who had gone missing.

"I'll do whatever you need me to. We need to get her back," Natsu announced, determination slowly replacing his shock.

"You will do nothing, you've already done what you can," Igneel replied quickly, shooting Natsu a warning stare to show him he meant it. Natsu frowned, but backed down as Igneel turned his attention back to his case file. Finally, he hummed a little, "When we were conducting the investigation, we found evidence of another facility they planned to relocate to, in Hargeon. But none of the original staff could be traced there, nor did we find any evidence of illegal or even related activity. None of the locals knew anything. The case was closed and went cold about a year ago. That's our best lead right now," he slammed the folder shut and tucked it under his arm as he marched across the room and pulled open his door. "I need to get some people on this. I'm not letting this slip away from us again." Catching sight of the sick worry on his son's face, Igneel strode around the desk and placed a firm hand on Natsu's shoulder. "We're going to get her back. I'm going to do everything in my power."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I caught a mistake from the last chapter while editing this and the next. In the previous chapter, Igneel mentions Onibus. The town that we are actually going to is _Hargeon._ I can't believe I never caught it! Anyway, it has been edited in the previous chapter. Now, Enjoy!

* * *

Waves of nausea rocked her as light started to seep into her vision. It took a few minutes for the headache to manifest, swirling with her dizziness. A pained groan escaped past her lips as she lifted her head, and blinked to clear her vision. What she saw was surprisingly familiar. Debris, ruin, and the strong musty smell…

The adrenaline hit next, slamming into her nausea and making it far worse in an instant. She knew these floors; those destroyed desks.

She was back at the lab.

 _Why am I here…? How?_ Levy tried to move her hand to clear the hair from her face, but met resistance. In her fog, she tried again, taking several seconds to realize that her arms were bound behind her back. It took a moment longer for the panic to set in, and she yanked at the mystery bonds like an animal caught in a trap.

"Careful dear, you'll hurt yourself." The sudden voice made her jump and swing her gaze to none other than Jose, seated casually near her with a man she didn't fully recognize standing beside him. But when she saw the short, jet black locks, she realized he must have been the one that knocked her out. A blank, distant stare was directed at the floor, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Why did you bring me here." Levy posed it, her tone low, as more of a demand than a question. She knew, quite surely, why she was here. There was only one reason that she would have been dragged into this. But she wanted so badly to be wrong.

"Oh, Miss McGarden, I know you're smart enough to figure that one out," he cooed, tilting his head a little with a smile. "But since you asked so very nicely, I suppose I can humor you with an answer while we wait." Jose waved a hand flippantly, "You're going to help me get back my final asset. The only piece that has eluded me."

Dread turned her stomach when he fears were confirmed. _While we wait..._ But still, she needed to ask, "Why?"

Jose looked at her with light confusion, tilting his head. After a moment, he seemed willing to deign her with an answer, "Despite all I was able to take with me, I had to leave many important things behind when all of this was destroyed," he gestured at the room around them, "And you see, these things are all very valuable. I have put a lot of time and money into my studies. It is very much against my best interests, and the interests of my clients, to let these things get away from me." His gaze turned back to the young man standing behind him for a few pointed moments before returning to Levy. "So you can imagine my… _disappointment_ when my star participant was the first to abandon ship." Levy's eyes widened slightly, taking a moment to process that information in particular. "I'd thought he'd perished. He was a captive animal released into an unforgiving wild, but something in me said, 'no, he's out there. You've made him strong enough.'" As Jose spoke, Levy felt the disgust creep into every part of her. He was so _entitled_ , and felt such ownership over other people's lives. And such pride for having done it all.

"But then, then I heard the rumors. Such silly little town-folk, you can't explain something and you turn it into 'urban legends' and 'ghost stories.' Even printed it in a book," he smirked, giving Levy a very pointed glance, "And then I found you, clutching one of _my_ notebooks. I have to admit, I was certainly surprised to find that one of my wildest beasts had taken to someone. A tiny girl, no less," he placed a fist under his chin. "But, then it became apparent how much _easier_ it would make retrieving him." Jose shook with an amused laugh, leaning back in his seat a little. "It's a development I can work with."

Levy's breaths came out uneven, her throat dry and sore. Everything he had told her had muddled together as her emotions raged. Finally, she found that one bit of information that had been contrary to what she thought she knew, and latched onto it. "He, ran the day this was shut down?" she finally asked, slowly.

He lifted a brow. "You didn't know?" Jose responded quickly, laughing again. "He turned tail and flew out of here like a bat out of hell. I will say it intrigues me that he even came back here. Pitiful beast likely came to think of this as his only home," he paused, thinking, "Right to the end, X777 was a _massive_ pain in my neck. He went haywire, wielding a power I had never seen before, and we were caught off guard; I still don't know how he did it. He was chaos incarnate, but he freed several of our subjects on his way out… poor things." Jose leaned back, taking a very loaded pause in what Levy could now see was a very _self indulgent_ monologue. "He released them right to slaughter."

Levy went cold. "What did you do to them…?"

Jose merely waved a hand, "We had no means of containing them at that time, and many of them had not completed the conditioning process," he paused, tilting his head and pointing to her, "You know about that, yes? What am I saying, of course you do. You've been doing quite a lot of reading." It was then that he shot her a quick glare, "It's rude to read from someone's diary, you know." There was an ominous, sharp tone hiding under the playful scolding. "But what's done is done… as I was saying. With freedom on their tongues, they turned on us. X777 tried to stop them; fascinating, that was. Something about just getting out, not wasting time. But it's hard to control chaos. I suppose his cowardice won out and he fled soon after. Tragedy, having to euthanize so many. But we do what we must in science, and the lacrima implants were retrieved successfully," he smirked, "the bodies were still of use at a later date. So truly, our losses were minimal." Jose looked up again to the man standing behind him. "How fortunate that there were those who remained loyal… With special encouragement that is. Isn't that right, X772?" After a quiet second, Jose clapped his hands in front of him as though remembering something important. "Oh, yes, sorry. _Rogue._ He responds better when we use his name."

Levy's stomach sank, realizing now that the man behind him was one of the subjects. And more than that, she had read about him. He was the one they had written about pitting against Gajeel. He was another human that had his life stolen from him, but compared to Gajeel, he looked so _empty._ That's what they wanted Gajeel to be. She thought of them robbing her iron dragon of that spark in his eyes, and that toothy grin she had been lucky enough to receive more than once. It was unthinkable. "Why are you telling me any of this?" Levy finally asked.

Jose chuckled immediately, a grating sound that sent chills through her. "Oh my dear," he feigned pity, "Because _you_ need to be aware of your place in this puzzle. To know, fully, that fighting me now is useless." That sickening smile spread on his face again, "And why pass up the chance to tell of my accomplishments and everything that has led to this final moment? Despite minor losses and setbacks on the way to get me here."

She was stunned; utterly stunned. "Minor loss?" Levy spat back at him, "You lost seven of your staff that day. On top of all the _people_ whose lives stole before you had even killed them!"

Jose jerked his head back a little and lifted his brows, as though taken aback by her outrage. "Yes? And?" Levy felt like the air had been knocked out of her. He was so casual, so confused why she would find that to be a point of contention. "They were perfectly replaceable, what's the problem?"

Slack-jawed and in shock, Levy felt sick. Utterly, and completely sick. Not only had the falsehood of her prior accusation against Gajeel been made clear and then some, but being in the presence of someone _so devoid_ of any humanity was more frightening than anything she had experienced in her life to date. That thin smile, constantly playing across those angular features made her stomach roil as a result. "You're unforgivable," she growled at him, only bringing a hearty laugh bouncing from his chest.

"Oh my dear, there is no place for forgiveness in science." He rose from his seat now, strolling over to her, "Waste of time. There is only time for progress." Levy instinctively tried to scoot away from him, but his long legs closed the distance faster than she could do a thing about it. He squatted in front of her and with one hand gripped her face by the cheeks. "Now, I've indulged you enough. You should be grateful that I chose to occupy our time this way. I could have let us sit here in silence while I wait for our scents to travel, but regaling you with my work seemed _so much more_ enjoyable. They say dogs can smell fear, and you look perfectly terrified, girl."

Her honey eyes went wide with the realization. He hadn't just been boasting; he was biding their time. He knew of Gajeel's abilities better than she did, he knew that the dragon would scent them here. And Jose's scent, mingled so strongly with hers and a stink of fear, was the most convincing bait he could have come up with. He was counting on her luring him right back into his clutches, and Rogue was his insurance that he could pull it off.

"It's time to get back to why we are here in the first place. I have places to be, Miss McGarden, so I'm afraid we will have to speed this up a little," he pulled her forward a little, lips curling into another sickening smile. "I'm sure he has caught our scents already. It would seem that isn't enough." He tilted his head, a predator sizing her up, "Be a good girl and call him for me, will you? I know he can hear you. And if I have studied your _relationship_ with him well enough, he should be here in a jiffy for his damsel in distress."

Levy glared, stiffening herself to the consequences of what she was about to say, something that felt so foreign on her tongue, but her anger was more powerful. She shook her face violently out of his grip, scraping his fingernails along her cheeks in the process.

"Go to hell."

A loud cackle echoed within the walls and Jose nearly fell backwards in his glee. "I was _so_ hoping you would say that!" he hollered, tapping his palm against her cheek quickly before rising back up to his feet. "Welcome to the revised conditioning protocol!" Jose took several long steps back away from her, and with a flourish lifted one hand above him. With a quick, huffed laugh, he snapped his fingers.

The blunette could have sworn she heard a muttered apology immediately after, but it was overshadowed, literally, by the black wisps that had started to swirl around the young man who had, until this point, been still and silent as death. The tendrils, as though living, snaked around his form, before diving to the floor and shooting straight for her.

Levy barely even had time to open her mouth when they raised back from the ground around her and wound around her body. She was stunned to feel the pressure of tangible binds, and realized this must have been what held her hands behind her back. _Shadows?! They're solid!_ she thought in a panic, but that was nothing compared to the fact that she was suddenly being _lifted_ off the floor. A firm pressure tightened around her and the next thing she knew she was flying for the vaulted ceiling, and her stomach was in her throat. Her back impacted, hard, and she couldn't stifle the cry that escaped her as pain sung through her. The darkness held her there for a painful moment, before she was lowered just enough to shift her and hang her upside down by her ankles. Levy coughed, trying to regain the breath that was knocked from her, or regain any semblance of breathing with what she was now faced with.

"Go on, Rogue. Like I told you. Make it convincing," Jose encouraged, clasping his hands once more behind his back as he regarded the suspended girl with cold amusement. There was a moment of hesitation from the man, and a flash of reluctance on his empty face, before his shoulders slumped with a released breath. Rogue lifted his hand and swiped it in front of him.

The pressure around her ankle suddenly disappeared, and the next thing she knew she was plummeting to the floor. As she dropped from a height that could very easily break bones or snap her neck, a scream of terror inevitably ripped from her. She would break, she knew she would, and she prepared for the agony of the impact, or the darkness that would take her over after.

But moments before impact, the pressure had manifested again, lightning fast, around her ankles and stopped her so quickly she let out an uncontrolled yelp. She looked to see she was mere inches from the floor, and then up to see the tendrils had resumed their place around her legs.

Staring at the shadows that had stopped her so suddenly from injury, a chill shot through her. She realized what they were doing. They had already intended for her to be bait, but her scent alone wasn't going to be enough to lure Gajeel. That night, what felt like forever ago, her screams were enough to send him raging into the forest to reach her. And that was exactly what they were trying to do now. They wouldn't hurt her yet, not when they still needed to get him here.

Her thoughts begged for him to not hear her, for her to keep quiet, so he wouldn't come and fall right back into their trap. She wanted to shout the words, but who knew if that would only make it worse. But at the same time, her thoughts _screamed_ for him to help her. For _anyone_ to help her. Because, oh god, she was _so afraid._

Tears burned in her eyes as she started to rise again, and she shook her head violently in a silent plea for them to stop. She wanted to beg them, but what if that only signalled to Gajeel? She couldn't. She had to stay as quiet as possible and resist them. Which meant not being able to stop them.

Thus, the entire process, sans hitting the ceiling, repeated. Each time, try as she might, she couldn't stop the strangled cries that came from her, nor the gut-wrenching grief with each repeated cycle. Sickness wracked her form and she shut her eyes tight to try and stop the dizziness that swirled in her head. She knew that he either wouldn't come and she would be a toy at their mercy… or that he would. And then he would be theirs. It was clear that Jose had been preparing for this, and he fully intended to take Gajeel back.

 _Don't come. Please don't let them take you!_

Her honey-colored eyes snapped open at the sound of a sudden crash, just as she was being lifted back up. What had been a slow ascent sharply changed gears, yanking upwards much faster, like she was being snatched away from something. In that instant, a dark blur flew under her and she felt a cold brush on her dangling fingertips, followed by another loud crash. The grip on her form tightened around her waist, and she found herself being pulled back over to Jose and Rogue.

Gajeel pulled himself to his feet from the desk he had demolished on his way in. His entire form was covered in the iron scales, but still it heaved with uneven breaths. He turned, slowly, to regard them through the shadows cast across his face. There, behind his glowing scarlet eyes, was a rage unlike anything she had seen before.

"Goodness. That took so much longer than I expected, I had begun to think I overestimated your fascination in the girl," Jose cooed, an excited smile spreading on his face. He was positively giddy. "You look well, Gajeel."

The dragon hunched forward, flexing his hands and baring his claws as a booming growl echoed in the room around them, firing off of him like an explosive. " _Jose_ …" he snarled, threatening, his eyes moving from the two men, before settling on the trembling, crying girl with them. _They're going to regret it. I'll make sure they regret ever fucking touching her._ "Let her go." He took one heavy step forward, the threat evident in every part of his body language and tone. He didn't need to say what he would do; he knew Jose was already intimately aware of his capabilities. And Jose had stoked every one of those capabilities by threatening Levy.

The fire burning in his chest, his blood drumming in his ears… these were all feelings he had never felt before. He remembered getting the tiniest taste of it the night he heard her screaming in the woods at the stupid coyote… but this, this was different. Levy had tears running down her face, stinking of fear and salt that turned his stomach. He couldn't see any injury on her or smell blood, but the shake of her little body told her they had to have done _something_. Levy was in their clutches, dangled in front of him like bait, reduced to a tool and a plaything.

Gajeel wasn't stupid, he knew why she was here with them. He had smelled all three some time ago, and it had almost drawn him. The thought that Jose might find her had crossed his mind, but the fear, the hurt of their final interaction kept him away still. She was a trap. And Jose wouldn't dare be so bold to do anything else other than dangle her like a lure. It wasn't worth him risking his life; he couldn't go back. Not for some girl.

But then that shrill, terrible sound struck him straight through the heart. It was distant, something a normal man would never have been able to hear. But he could, and he cursed that he was able. The first sound was painful, but they just kept coming, one after the other: she was _screaming_. The thought of her in trouble, being hurt, having god knows what done to her by the most monstrous man in his world, was unbearable. Her screams broke him to his core. It wasn't even a question at that point, because all he could see in his thoughts was that blue-haired angel with her hand in his and trust in her eyes. The girl he had sworn, before he was even fully aware, to protect. The words she had spoken to him that night disappeared entirely from his memory, because it didn't matter at all anymore. No matter what she had said, he was going to find her, get her back into his arms, and never let her go again. For once he was going to do something right.

He was an unstoppable force on his way back to his personal hell. He was going to plunge into the flames of his purgatory for her, and the second he saw her slipping just out of his reach, her tears falling onto his face, he realized it didn't matter if he got back out. As long as she did.

"Now, Gajeel, I've waited a very long time for this, I want to savor this for a moment," Jose chuckled, shifting to stand closer to Rogue. He may have had the upper hand, but he had angered a very large, very strong beast. And he wasn't stupid.

"I ain't gonna repeat myself," Gajeel rumbled, " _You give her back to me."_

The black wisps surrounding Levy pulled her back behind the men and set her onto the floor. Though they released her, they continued to linger behind her, as a reminder that she was not freed in any sense. Levy swayed on her feet, but her attempt to remain upright failed as her disorientation forced her to her knees with a whimper. Her downturned gaze didn't catch the hitch in Gajeel's posture, wanting so badly to just rush to her.

She lifted her eyes slowly, her sides heaving with the breaths she hoped would settle her stomach, and poised her gaze onto Gajeel. Her heart broke when they made eye contact, knowing that he had come. Knowing that he was here and in so much danger. She had played a part in his downfall and worst of all, he looked so ready to fight _for her_ with no guarantee for his own safety, let alone hers.

"Are ya fuckin deaf?" Gajeel growled, turning his attention slowly to Jose. The scientist didn't waver, and merely chuckled at the iron dragon. Gajeel knew Jose had no intention of listening to him; why would he? That shit-eating grin was standard for him and meant that he fully intended to get his way. Ultimately, Gajeel turned his attention to Rogue. Maybe he could play a different angle. "Why are you doing this?"

The other onyx-haired man furrowed his brow, like it had been a completely preposterous thing to ask. "It's what we are made to do," he responded flatly. "Obey."

Gajeel shifted his weight suddenly, a disgusted grimace falling onto his face. The word had poisoned enough years of his life. "Ya don't gotta do a damn thing he says. Ya could kill him just as easily as I can right now." The latter part of the sentence dropped a few tones, and like an animal ready to strike, he rolled his shoulders and looked hungrily to Jose. His neck bare. His skull fragile. His chest crushable. The bloodlust roiled within him, his anger slowly slipping from his grasp.

"That is not our directive. When we don't obey, we die. You saw this yourself, and caused it yourself. They died because of your insubordination."

Gajeel was taken aback, gritting his teeth. "You don't believe that," he muttered. "You know exactly what happened that day. Ya know I tried to stop them. To help all of them, including you."

"And where are they now? Where have you been for three years?" The flatness in his tone had given away, just slightly, to a more human emotion. An emotion that left unspoken, but very apparent words after he stopped speaking. ' _Where have_ _ **I**_ _been for three years?'_ "You helped no one but yourself." Just like that, the cold emotionless tone returned.

"Now, boys!" Jose stepped in, moving just in front of Rogue to draw the attention back to himself. "You can run in these circles as much as you like. But I can assure you that the conditioned responses within Rogue, as well as all the surviving subjects _just waiting for your return,_ are flawless," he laughed to himself, gloating. "I have had a lot of time to sit on my mistakes and fix them, Gajeel. To see the holes, the weaknesses, and patch them. You will see just how much we have changed soon enough, and we will snuff out that _infuriating_ fire of yours one last time."

"Never again," Gajeel hissed sharply, viscerally recoiling from the man's words. He looked one more time to Levy, who caught his gaze and held it. The fire that was exchanged between them snapped Levy out of the paralyzed fear she had felt. There was a look in her eye, a sudden determined furrowing of her brow that held his sight, before watching her look slowly to the chair behind Jose… and within her reach. Following her silent train of thought, he immediately resumed speaking. "I am done with that nightmare. You don't own me anymore. And I'm going to make you pay for _all of it._ "

As Gajeel talked, slowly and deliberately, keeping the attention of the two men. Levy steadied her breath, calculating just how far the chair was from her, and just what she needed to do. But she needed to wait for him to resume speaking. And knowing now what a blowhard he was, she didn't need to wait long.

"That's an admirable idea, however–"

Levy lurched to her feet, grabbing the chair with the firmest grip she could manage and immediately yanked it back. The piercing screech of the rusted metal surprised both Jose and Rogue, but not as much as the surprise of the chair smacking Jose square in the back that sent him falling forward. Levy had tried to lift it higher, wanting to aim for his upper half, but the weight and rushed urgency of the last ditch effort didn't allow her much precision. However, it was enough to break the concentration of both men, which resulted in the sudden dissipation of the dark binds around her. The blunette bolted, nearly tripping over her own feet, for Gajeel. Everything in her screamed for him, and this was her only chance.

The second she moved, Gajeel finally broke from his position. Immediately his attention went to Jose. His focus was broken, and so was Rogue's, and that left them wide open. Gajeel could be upon Jose in seconds and end this all once and for all. He just needed to get there before Rogue could react, before he turned his sites onto-

Levy.

Blue and yellow intercepted his line of sight, and he remembered her scent: the fear, the tears. Beyond her, he heard Jose shout something to Rogue, and the focus fell fully onto Levy. Everything shifted in that second and all at once she became the only thing that mattered. In that second she overrode revenge.

He staggered his steps to break his speed and slow himself down enough to not hurt her, but also not lose time. Gajeel threw his arms out for her, digging in his heels, and grabbed her to the side. He threw himself into her momentum and spun on his feet to lessen the impact as he took her up into his arms, lifting her off the ground and locking her into him.

He struggled for clarity as her scent, mixed with fear and salt, assaulted his senses. It muddled his thoughts as it had done so many times before, but this time he used it to fuel his fire. This was what he had to lose, and he would fight like hell to protect it.

Gajeel wanted to savor the moment, to savor having her in his arms. But movement in the corner of his eye told him there was no time to waste. He shot a protective glare towards the offenders, but was immediately pushed to action. The man rose onto the balls of his feet and leaped backwards, just as Rogue's shadows crashed down where he had just been standing. They impacted hard enough to crack the floor, and he realized now that the games and taunting were over.

Rogue was winding up for another attack, and a sense of urgency was manifesting in Jose's face that set a deep-rooted fear alive in him. "Trust me?" Gajeel muttered into her hair, and was answered by immediate and frantic nodding into his shoulder. "Hold on to me," he rumbled, and Levy immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. She did not need to think or hesitate. At this point, she trusted him with her life. He shifted her in his grip to carry her bridal style, hunching himself over her, ready to move.

"I want them _both back!"_ Jose roared at Rogue, the order robbing all expression from his face as though it triggered something, like the conditioning slammed full force into him. With a roll in his shoulders, black markings started to appear on his face and what looked like black smoke started to fall in trickles from his fingertips like oil. He cracked his knuckles and started to sway, his legs looking like they were losing their tangibility and melting into his own shadow.

 _Shit!_ Gajeel thought, tightening his grip on the small girl as he turned and ran. He freed the arm that would have supported her back, as she held onto his neck, and used it as a battering ram to clear his way and shield his precious cargo. From the corner of his eye he could see the shadows in the room shift, and slammed down a heavy step to dodge sideways mid-run as another shot of black pierced the ground next to him. It was too cramped here, too dark. He needed to get outside.

Both arms went back around her as he angled a shoulder out and ducked his head over her. "Hold on!" he shouted, vaulting himself straight through one of the large windows and into the snow outside. A surprised cry flew from Levy that wrenched his gut as they impacted the snow and rolled, but he didn't have the time to check on her. Only the fact he couldn't smell any blood. Gajeel rolled back up to his feet and bounded across the facility yard, his eyes catching sight of something on the far end of the grounds: a vehicle at the back gate. _SHIT._ Jose came fully prepared, and fully ready to take him. Bringing his most loyal pet had already been a bad sign, but the car made it worse.

Gajeel had barely a second beyond that realization, before catching a silhouette pursuing him on his left. He hissed through his teeth.

It veered sharply, and with a curse under his breath, Gajeel jumped, feeling a dangerous brush against his side midair. As he landed and slid to a stop, he turned to see Rogue standing there, several feet away from him with his shadows swirling. "Why are you _doing this?"_ Gajeel shouted to him, "You have to want him dead as much as I do, Rogue! You _know_ what he did to us!" He was answered first with a cold stare, a steady flexing and unflexing of both of his shadowed hands.

"You are coming back," Rogue replied flatly. "Those are the orders." He flourished a hand upwards, whipping up his shadows threateningly. "To disobey is to suffer," he muttered then, swaying a little on his feet. "To fail is to suffer."

Gajeel clenched his teeth, struggling between feeling sorry for the man or being infuriated by his pathetic, brainwashed state. This was not what the others had been like the day he broke them out. They were wild then, more like Gajeel was now. There was still a spark in them that only needed to be lit by the promise of freedom. But that spark quickly turned into lust for revenge as they turned their sights on everyone else. Their conditioning to obey was easily overpowered by the chaos, but it was also what lead to their deaths. They had been turned into animals, unchained, and when released found themselves with no other option than bloodshed.

That wasn't not how Rogue was, here in front of him. He had such a clear chance to end everything, to end Jose. A flick of his wrist and the scientist could find himself with a snapped neck. But he was so far gone, and so broken, that he had no more autonomy. That was exactly what they wanted. Rogue was the pinnacle and perfect example of what they wanted, and it was like looking into a terrifying mirror… because that is exactly what Gajeel would become. Had almost become.

"You aren't gonna to get out of my way, are ya?" Gajeel finally asked, feeling Levy shift in his grip to look over her shoulder at the other male.

"I have my orders. We will be punished if I fail," Rogue replied, something unidentifiable flickering over his features.

 _We?_ Gajeel thought, tilting his head slightly. But there was no time to pick apart his word choice, because he knew now how this was going to go.

Slowly, Gajeel set Levy down, and gently pushed her behind him as a wordless 'get back.' "Fine then," he replied, stretching his arms. With Levy out of the way, and his opponent in front of him, he let something he had put away for three years wake back up. A toothy grin spread on the iron dragon's face and he tilted his head, feeling that unbridled excitement and thirst for violence rise in him, bringing a dark laughter with it. He wouldn't hold it back anymore, not now. He could open those doors and let it rush forth, because it was the only way they were going to come out of this.

Levy backed away from her protector, just as he flew forward towards the shadow-wielder in a puff of ice. Rogue rushed to meet him, and they became a blur of flying fists. Snow flew around them, and Gajeel was the first to stagger back from a connected hit. Relentless, Rogue took his opening to land a darkened fist under Gajeel's chin that sent him flying back into the snow with a grunt. He slid several feet on his back, and lifted his gaze just in time to see Rogue swipe his hand, bringing what looked like spears flying down upon him, threatening to run him straight through. With a growl, Gajeel rolled to the side to see them embed into the earth, then dissolve into thin wisps. "Tch!" he huffed.

There wasn't a moment to rest as Rogue descended upon him, a fist pulled back. Gajeel crossed his arms up in front of him to block the blow with iron. It hit with enough force to kick up the snow around where he lay. Gajeel snarled like an animal up at his opponent, baring his teeth before he thrust both of his arms outwards in a scissor motion. The slight stagger back gave Gajeel the space and opening to slam a kick upwards into Rogue's chest and get more distance between them.

He rolled onto his shoulders, then snapped up to his feet and launched forward and catch Rogue before he could recover. Swinging wide, Gajeel landed a sideswipe on Rogue's face that catapulted him with enough force to send him halfway across the yard. Or would have, but the shadow user extended his shadows from his hands to shoot into the earth and slow him. Rogue's back hit the snow, and he coughed out the blood that had pooled in his mouth.

Gajeel was upon him in an instant, and Rogue's eyes went wide at the sight of the iron fist coming at his face. Hastily, he whipped up one of his shadows to meet the attack, altering the path just enough that the Gajeel impacted the ground mere inches to the right of his head with a deafening boom, followed by a shaky release of breath from Rogue. The iron dragon snarled his disapproval, but the shadow-user was already on the defensive, with shadows swirling above him that quickly formed spines to arm against his attacker.

With a huff, Gajeel shoved himself away from Rogue, but not quite fast enough. Even with his iron hide, the the darkness cut a thin slice through his bicep. He may have been resistant to most of the world's threats like this, but against another subject… he was still vulnerable. It was a fact he didn't forget as he leapt backwards to put distance back between them.

The shadow-wielder rose back up to his feet, chest already heaving. With the back of his hand, he wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. A dark, spiteful gaze fell on his opponent, before he swept his arm in front of him. What looked like a blackened whip struck out, not towards Gajeel, but to the snow just in front of him. It sent up a wave of ice and dirt directly into the iron dragon's face.

Gajeel held up his arms to shield his eyes, just as Rogue appeared in the air front of him twisted back to wind up a punch. He braced, but the image of the shadow user flickered as his eyes widened. _A fake?!_ Immediately after, he saw stars, then felt the explosion of pain in the back of his head that lurched him forward. The after image in front of him flickered again, and a knee connected with his face and launched him backwards. _He's faster!_ He'd squared off with the shadow-wielder many times in the past, but he had never been this good. Gajeel, if he wasn't winning, was always evenly matched with him.

As soon as he hit the ground again, he slammed iron claws down to his side hard enough to reach the earth below and stop his slide. He coughed heavily and rolled himself onto all fours, reaching up to snap his jaw back into place with a grunt. He lifted his gaze, waiting for Rogue to be upon him again, but saw something else entirely. To his horror, he saw Rogue had turned his attention to the terrified Levy, and was already extending his shadows towards her. "Don't you _dare!"_ he bellowed, digging his feet in and rocketing as a blur towards Rogue.

The shadow-wielder had just barely started to turn when Gajeel slammed a foot down several feet away from him, skidding towards Rogue with a fist pulled to his side. A loud _crack_ pierced the air as Gajeel swung his fist up into his chest, sending him skyward. Immediately after, Gajeel shot himself into the air after Rogue, who regarded him with shocked, wide eyes when he found the iron dragon airborne next to him. "Don't, you," Gajeel clasped both fists together and hoisted them upwards over his head, "TOUCH HER!" With that roar, he slammed his fists down into Rogue's back to send him like a comet back down to the earth below.

But Rogue was already working his counter, feeble as it may have been compared to the onslaught. Black tendrils snaked around Gajeel's ankles and yanked him down with Rogue, but they dissolved the second their user crashed into the ground. Several feet away, Gajeel followed with less force. But enough to have stopped the pace of the battle.

With a groan, Gajeel hauled himself out of his crater and quickly sought the girl. Sides heaving, he rose to his feet and staggered towards her, his eyes wildly sweeping over her to be sure that she was okay. "Le-vy…" he gasped, trying to close the distance between them. He had a chance, now that Rogue was down, to flee. This could be their moment. As though sensing this, she started to walk towards him, hands clasped in front of her mouth.

Gajeel reached for her as soon as he was close enough, and exhaled his relief as he brushed his fingers down the side of her face, where the tears had fallen. Levy shakily reached for his wrist, shedding even more tears, but of budding relief. "Gajeel, I-"

She stopped cold, eyes wide, and the shout had only started to rise in her, but she wasn't fast enough.

Black whips rose up from Gajeel's shadow, wrapping lightning-fast around his neck and ripping him away from her. "Agh!" Gajeel coughed out his surprise while clawing at his throat as he was hoisted upwards, before the shadows slammed him back down into the snow with such immense force that it created a small crater.

"Gajeel!" Levy screamed, scrambling backwards to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

"You cannot fight me while protecting her." Rogue emerged again from shadow, a hand grasping his side. His breaths were shallow, eye twitching with a pain he was battling against. Still, his voice was deadly calm. "You cannot win. I'm better now, better than I was." The shadows around Gajeel's neck did not waver, anchoring the struggling dragon to the ground.

Then Rogue was upon him, face cast almost completely in darkness, and landed blow after blow against Gajeel, knocking him further and further into the dirt. The unrelenting onslaught twisted Levy's stomach as she brought her hands to her mouth to try and stifle a cry. Still, the tears started to fall. _He's going to kill him!_ she thought, watching as iron slowly gave way to bruised, bloody flesh. He had the up on Gajeel, and wasn't giving him a chance to even block. And worse, she could see the wildness blossoming on Rogue's features in a way that was almost feral.

"Stop!" Levy cried, but the man didn't falter, didn't even seem to hear her.

She was going to lose him. After all of this, all that she had done, she was going to lose Gajeel.

 _I can't. I've tried too hard, I can't!_ she thought desperately, feeling her chest tighten as her tears fell freely.

 _I won't lose you!_

"STOP!" With everything she had, the tiny woman threw her weight shoulder first into the side of his attacker. It was only by the grace of surprise that she was able to knock him off of Gajeel, snapping him briefly from the frenzy. Levy tumbled into the snow herself, and as quickly as she could jumped back to her feet and spread her arms defensively, standing between Rogue and Gajeel. "You have to stop!"

Gajeel felt the blows cease, wheezing for air as he turned his head to spit the rust from his mouth. He forced his eyes open, to see blue through the blurred vision. _What… Levy?_! With a pained groan, he rolled over and spit out more of his blood while trying to get up on all fours.

Rogue spun, snapping his dark gaze to whomever had interfered with him. Rage swept through him, knowing that he had been moments from victory and had it snapped away from him. Just like it had been done in the past. All those times, facing off with Gajeel in those arenas, so close to finishing his opponent, before they were forced apart and made to stop. He had _hated_ it. Every time they told him to do better, fight better. Win, or _he_ pays for the losses. Win, or don't see _him_ that week. And here it was, happening again. _I can't lose,_ he thought resolutely, looking to the only thing that stood between him and victory. Between him and his brother's wellbeing. _I can't lose!_

"You don't have to do thi-!" Levy's voice was cut, abruptly, by a small guttural noise, and something warm hit Gajeel's face. In slow motion, he watched her jerk backwards, stiffen, and stagger on her feet.

Red.

He saw red. Red rivers running down her side, splashes of it in the snow. Then came the smell.

The girl looked down at her shoulder, seeing a blackened spear that had run her straight through, originating from Rogue. She lifted a trembling hand reached up to touch fingertips to the edge of the wound and then hold it in front of her face. Her mouth opened uselessly, looking up to Rogue with wide eyes. _I'm bleeding, I..._ In her shock, with adrenaline already coursing through her, it took a moment for the pain to register. But when it did, it shot outwards from the site and overwhelmed every nerve. It was sharp, it burned, and then everything contracted. She wanted to double over but the pike in her shoulder kept her upright, so all she could do was writhe against it as a scream ripped violently from her in a mixture of agony and panic.

Everything in Gajeel went cold at the sound, and his own pain became secondary as he pulled himself to his feet and rushed erratically for her. The thin black spear dissolved from her left shoulder, and without the support she started to fall. " _LEVY!"_ the dragon roared, cutting through the winter air and silencing everything around them. Clumps of snow fell from the trees.

In a half dive, half trip, Gajeel dropped to his knees and slid just in time to catch her before she hit the ground. Pain surged through him as well, but his own injuries no longer mattered. They would heal. But hers...

He felt the terrible warmth pool and trickle down his own arms. He looked frantically to Rogue, his expression begging him for an answer. Begging to know _why_ he would rope her into this. "This was between us!" Gajeel screamed, his voice cracking in his desperation. The short-haired male only looked like he had just been smacked back to reality, looking from Gajeel to the girl, watching a stain of red spread in the snow around them. All of the wildness had left him entirely.

Then Gajeel heard her whimper his name, and he felt bile rise in the back of his throat. Gajeel's gaze flew back down to the shaking girl, eyes frantic. Immediately he reached a hand to grip her shoulder, trying to stem the bloodflow, and only brought out a sharp cry of pain that _killed_ him. She grasped desperately at his bloody hand, trying to free herself of the agony. "Shrimp!" he cried, desperate for any sort of reaction the name usually elicited. Trying to get her to stop fighting him and bring her back. Nothing but ragged cries. "Levy, look at me will ya?" Gajeel urged, but pain forced her eyes shut. "Levy, _please…_ Stay with me! _"_ he begged. _God damnit, you can't leave me now! Don't you leave me!_

"Now you've gone and done it." Another voice brought a protective growl tearing from Gajeel, who hunched over the whimpering girl. "I told you I wanted them both _alive_ Rogue. They're worth little to me dead." There was a muttered apology from Rogue, but Jose continued, "No matter, at least he is how I requested."

Footsteps advanced from his side as he flinched, giving more growled warnings to stay back. Despite his threats, there was a sudden sharp pain in Gajeel's shoulder, and he drooped forward, gripping her to him like a lifeline as his vision started to blur. He shielded his body over her the best he could, putting one arm out to steady himself. It was of little help as his limbs started to go numb, his gaze wavered back and forth, and the darkness advanced quickly. _I won't let you…I won't…_ The last thing he heard, torturously, was Jose's voice.

"Load them up. I want her alive. Her sway on him is far too great an asset."


	14. Chapter 14

_Gajeel?_

 _Gajeel where are you?_

"Do I have to repeat myself? I said prepare a space in the infirmary. I have a subject incoming with an impale wound."

"A _what?!"_ A voice, rubbed raw with screams, gasped out. There was no answer.

 _Wait…_

 _Was that my voice?_

Everything felt so hazy, so detached.

 _No, no, he can't have been_ _ **impaled**_ _. I don't remember seeing him being… he was beaten into the dirt. I saw Rogue do that. He didn't do anything else. I stopped it, I saved him, I-_

In her haze, she tried to move, tried to sit up, but her body wouldn't obey her. Something was moving her, holding her, and instinctively she recoiled from that unknown force. She regretted it immediately as pain flared through her like wildfire, tethering her further to the world and trying to pull her from her haze.

 _It_ _ **hurts!**_ _Oh god it hurts; what is that!? I can't see anything, I don't remember—_

Then the images hit her. All at once, pounding into her brain to the tune of her racing heart.

Standing, arms spread, shielding the broken man. Pleading for it to stop, and then it hit her. The spear running her straight through, tearing flesh. It happened again, and again and again. Each time it replayed in her thoughts another wave of pain shook her and she opened her mouth to scream, but couldn't tell if she even made a sound. She felt her lungs burn, her throat tighten, but only part of her was present.

 _ **LEVY!**_

His voice cut through the fog in a blaze. That scream-his scream-dug hooks into her pierced shoulder and reeled her blindingly to the present. Her eyes snapped open with a gasp, coughing from the rawness of her own throat.

Levy was set onto something solid, and she heard a thud next to her, then a slam. There was pressure put over her, holding her in place, and then everything started to shake. Was the ground shaking or was she?

She couldn't tell if she was looking around her or if she was hallucinating. Everything was a blur, swept by some unknown current before she could latch onto any details. _Where am I? Where are you taking me? Please, I want to go home! I want to see Gajeel!_

She could feel a hard pressure wrapping around her shoulder, immediately firing stabbing, burning pain through her. The pain that made everything tighten and her jaw clench so tight she thought she might crack her teeth.

Then the pain slowly, terrifyingly, became static. It was a fuzzy throb at the edge of consciousness and she realized she was slipping away. The pain had brought devastating weakness and a blackness that chipped away at her consciousness. Like a hungry beast it took more of her, bit by bit.

 _Stay awake, stay awake, I need to…_

With a roll of her head, the blurs, for just an instant, made out the form of a large black mane. It was gone as quickly as she had recognized it, and so was the pain. She felt nothing, saw nothing, and eventually,

 _Is this what dying feels like?_

Thought nothing.

* * *

"No sir, she has no family that we know of. She is acquainted with the chief's son, however."

Brown eyes opened slowly to the sound of muffled voices, gazing weakly around the sterile white room. The light was near blinding, bringing a painful, throbbing pressure in her forehead as she shut her eyes again to block it out.

"Minor. Igneel was unable to find us in the past."

The sound of a familiar name tugged at her again to try and wake up. _Igneel? Natsu's dad?_ Levy opened her eyes again and turned her head slowly to the side, trying not to agitate anything. Her eyes focused on the door with the frosted glass window. Two silhouettes stood outside it, their voices muffled but intelligible through the door.

"You have given him reason to try again."

"He'll be hard-pressed to get the clear from commissioner, what's-his-name, to open the case back up. In a different county no less. Hargeon is a large city, my friend. And we have been meticulous. Six years is a long time to bring a plan to fruition. The destruction of our first station was merely a speedbump, and ultimately a catalyst to rush construction here." That sickening, confident voice overshadowed the other. She knew that voice, but was not yet conscious enough to understand the implications of where she was. "Now, is she stable?"

"Yes, sir. She lost a lot of blood, but we were able to close the wound. She'll need to rest for a few days but fluids and pain medications should pull her through. It's too early to say if she will be able to use that arm again without therapy."

 _I what?_ she thought, turning her head too quickly to try and look at herself. Instantly a wave of dizziness washed over her and she tensed, but only pain followed. The blunette grit her teeth and bit down on a cry, not wanting to tip off the men outside to the fact she was awake, however fleeting it was.

"Yes yes, that's all great but how soon until I can move her? Speak to her? I don't need her to be recovered, just coherent."

Levy's stomach twisted a little, the more the one voice spoke, the more her hazy, weak state of mind was able to catch up with who he was. Who had her.

Slowly this time, the girl moved her gaze around the room again, confirming that she was alone, and that the room was bare save for medical equipment at her bedside, beeping softly. She inhaled deeply, trying to steady her nausea, and realized then that she had something on her face. With her left hand, she reached to her mouth shakily and felt the oxygen mask, before her good arm fell weakly at her side again. An IV line was taped to the back of her hand. Levy craned her neck as best as she was able and saw the heavy bandaging around her injured shoulder, with her right arm secured in a sling. Her head dropped back onto the pillow and she bit back another groan.

There was a heavy pause before the other male responded. "The soonest you should be able speak to her is in another day or so. You may move her if she is in a wheelchair. You won't be able to run her around but she should be awake and aware."

"Good. I need her aware of her purpose here as soon as possible, before our iron dragon catches on to our little fib. I need to be able to use her, quickly."

 _Gajeel!_ She could barely remember them taking him… or her for that matter. All she remembered was Rogue, running her through. The image flashed through her mind's eye harshly, her shoulder ached in response.

Levy couldn't fully process the state of her situation, but did her best to move through the facts, one by one. That was definitely Jose outside her door, and they definitely had Gajeel. Which meant he was alive on one hand, but on the other he was theirs again. Judging by what Jose had said, Jupiter Technology had been building another facility long before they even lost their first. In Hargeon of all places, which was at the least two hour's drive from Magnolia. _So far from home._ She pressed her eyes shut tightly, trying to will away the pain that the medications could not.

It took a minute for her to realize she could no longer hear the voices outside. She started to feel her thoughts, along with her hope, slipping from her. This time, it was sleep beckoning her, rather than weakness. As the black closed in, she could clearly see a single face in her mind that only brought her a shred of solace, and a world of guilt.

* * *

"Natsu… what do we do if he says no?" Lucy whispered to the boy next to her, her eyes focused on the clasped hands in her lap. Both of them sat on a bench at the station after coming to pester Igneel about Levy.

"Dad's hard to say no to," he responded, voice just as hushed. "And even if he doesn't get the okay… you know he'll try anyway." A proud smile pulled at his mouth.

"Will it be in time, though?" Lucy replied, squirming in her seat. "She went missing yesterday and there's still no sign of her," the blonde's voice cracked, before she felt his arm over her shoulders and he pulled her into his side. Carefully, he kissed her hair.

"We're gonna find her, Luce. One way or another. I promise." Natsu did his absolute best to sound confident, to reassure her. Judging by the slight relaxing of her shoulders, it seemed like it worked. They both knew full well it wouldn't be that easy, but neither of them needed to acknowledge it right now. For Levy's sake, they wouldn't allow themselves to be anything but optimistic.

A sudden thud and a raised voice brought their attention to the door to their right, the frosted glass only giving them a glimpse at movement within.

"The hell you mean you _can't_ , Makarov?" the fiery-haired man nearly bellowed at the stern-faced elder in front of him.

"I never said I couldn't, Igneel. Don't you raise your voice at me," the older man replied sternly. Despite having a stature considerably smaller than the redhead in front of him, the commissioner exuded a powerful authority. "Just not as quickly as you are asking me to. You _know_ we can't just warm up such a high-profile case up this fast. There is a process. We need people, time, a review of the evidence. You are asking me to dig _all_ of this back up on a hunch, and to bring it to another jurisdiction no less. Because of something you think the kids found."

Igneel balled a fist and dropped it down on the commissioner's desk. "Are you listening to me at all? They _know specific_ _details from the case_. Details we never released. And a child is missing again, _sir_. It's the same thing all over again."

"It's coincidental, chief. You know it is. The information they know is entirely a product of their trespassing and juvenile imaginations," Makarov replied, directing his eyes down to his desk apologetically. "You need to get a missing person's report filed, not reopen the case that got away. We all have them." There was a knowing edge to his words. "You aren't the only one that's lost something, Igneel."

"I know damn well I'm not the only one, but you don't need to take out your failures as a guardian on me," he growled, glaring heavily at the commissioner.

"Watch yourself, _boy_." Makarov bit out, making it clear a nerve had been hit. "Don't get yourself hurt treading into _my_ personal affairs."

Igneel winced, realizing the hastiness of his words. Bringing up his grandson was a low blow, but he couldn't stop now. "Our justice system failed every one of those _children_ , and now that I have reason to try again I won't let it fail them all over. It's _Levy_ that's missing. The girl never gets into any trouble." A muscle twitched in Makarov's jaw that let Igneel know he was at least on the right track. "She fits the bill, no parents or extended family. She's been missing since yesterday, and she claimed to have seen Porla, here in Magnolia," he urged, trying to find some way to keep pushing his superior. "I am not letting this die on me again and I will not have another kid's life on my hands that I didn't try hard enough to find justice for. The longer we wait the greater the chance we never see her again." Igneel straightened up and squared his shoulders, exuding a fiery determination that did not go unnoticed.

Makarov looked up to the chief, his eyes studying the hardened man's face for a few moments. Igneel would not back down, and did not waver under his superior's stare. It was not something the old man was unaccustomed to. The chief had a personality as combustible as his appearance would suggest and when he fixated on something, he was not like to let it go. It was a quality that both infuriated Makarov as his superior, and also massively served their department. It was also a quality he was slowly passing onto his son.

Finally, a defeated sigh deflated the dominant stature and Makarov hunched a little. "Alright," he said first, but seeing the expression of victory quickly rise in the red-head in front of him, Makarov quickly raised a hand to stop him. "I'll authorize a _small_ detail to the old facility to see if there are any indications that Levy, or Porla, were there. I recommend Laharl. I want a full report on the evidence we have thus far, and I will need a testimony from your son and Lucy, before I even think of contacting anyone in Hargeon. I need to know that we even have something solid to stand on before stepping into another county. Clear?"

"Crystal." Igneel rested both hands on the desk with a grateful smile, pushing his weight forward before he rolled back on his feet to leave. "Oh, and sir?" Makarov hummed in response, "I do hope your boy reaches out to you again, someday," he said in way of an apology for his earlier transgression. The commissioner merely nodded solemnly, and watched the chief leave.

* * *

"Where are you taking me…" Levy asked, barely above a whisper. Her voice was flat and dry, eyes fixed on her lap. The floors were thankfully smooth for the most part, allowing the chair to roll without jostling her. The process of being pulled out of bed was uncomfortable enough, and the near full day of sleep hadn't done much for her headache.

"Dr. Porla wants you in the holding wing," the voice behind her answered, just as devoid of expression as she was. She didn't recognize him when he had come for her that afternoon, nor did she recognize anyone they passed in the halls.

Levy licked her lips, trying to fight the horrible cotton-mouth, "Holding?"

"Where the subjects are kept," he answered abruptly, a finality in his voice that told her he was done indulging her. He likely wasn't permitted to speak to her much at all.

The girl went rigid and clenched her good fist, understanding turning into dread. _They're taking me to see him._ The realization hit hard, and her breath hitched. This wasn't going to be some casual bedside visit, there was a definite motive here and her thoughts returned to the conversation she overheard the day before. There was a very real reason why they had brought her here; Jose seemed like a man of results and efficiency, they wouldn't have wasted time or resources on her unless they expected her to benefit them in good measure.

Levy's gut dropped with the elevator as they descended two floors, terrified of what she might see at the bottom. She studied the buttons on the elevator, gleaning that in terms of height(or depth) the building wasn't that large: 1, GF, -1, -2. He had punched the bottom-most key. _We're going underground… they keep them underground._ She turned her head slightly, glancing at the man behind her from the corner of her eye. She may not have recognized him, but felt it pertinent to at least know his face.

There was a soft sliding noise as the doors opened in front of her, revealing a long, bright hall, at the end of which stood none other than Jose. As the man pushed her forward, the gap from the elevator to the floor jerked her shoulder painfully. Levy inhaled through her teeth, but kept her eyes open. On either wall were what looked like large glass panels, doors almost. Each evenly spaced from the other, with maybe fifteen on each wall.

It wasn't until they passed by the first glass wall that she realized they were cells. The first few were empty, but they had the same amenities you'd see in a jail cell, with a single light in the ceiling of each. After passing two empty cells, she saw one that was occupied by none other than one of her captors: Rogue. He sat, motionless, on his cot with his head bowed. Their arrival did nothing to stir him, and with how airtight the cells looked, she wondered if they could even hear them. The next cell had another man, laid back completely on his cot with his arms behind a head of maroon hair; then came a man with golden hair, sat the same way Rogue was with head bowed.

Levy swallowed hard, watching as they passed the cells one by one. Not every one was occupied between the two walls, but they were mostly filled with people of similar ages. Most were in the same state of quiet obedience as Rogue and the other two. But the further they went—closer to the repulsive sight of Dr. Jose Porla at the end waiting for her—the more unrest she saw within. Some of them would suddenly rush the walls, and impact with muted thuds, spitting silent curses. Rocking and pacing, the more restless individuals appeared to have earned additional restraint in the form of masks, handcuffs that encompassed their forearms entirely, and even just straps to hold them to their cots, with lines of some unknown chemical attached to their arms. They looked like caged animals, and they were treated as such.

"Miss McGarden, so good to see you on the mend." The very sound of his voice brought a deep sense of loathing that she didn't even know she was capable of. The capacity to _hate_ someone with such vehemence was new to her, and it drew her gaze from the subjects to the man responsible. "I won't waste your time or mine with chatter," he started, and had Levy felt better she might have scoffed at him for that, "I have something I am just _dying_ to show you." The mustached man jerked his gaze to the final cell in front of him as the individual behind her rolled her next to Jose. It was dark inside, and she realized the ceiling light that the other cells were equipped with was smashed out. The glass wall was scraped and scuffed, and the cot had been smashed and twisted beyond recognition, pushed all the way to the front like it had been used to try and get out.

There was a faint, pulsing red light within the cell that only supplemented a small amount of ambient light from the hall. Each time it flashed she could see the outline of a large figure on its knees with its back to them, slumped against the back corner. She brought her left hand to her mouth, stifling not only her gasp but trying to stay the meager contents of her stomach.

Gajeel swayed back and forth, dragging his head and armcuffs across the wall in front of him before thudding against the wall next to him before swaying back the other way. Mindless and repetitive. She could see lines coming from his cuffs, attached to something within the walls, and wondered if that was a way to medicate him.

"What have you _done_ to him?" she wheezed, unable to tear her eyes away from him or put any more strength in her voice.

"Besides pumping him continually with sedatives?" Jose answered, a hint of precarious amusement in his tone as he clasped his hands behind his back and turned to look fully at Gajeel. "I told him you were dead."

Levy nearly choked, her eyes flying to Jose, the hatred having given way to desperate pleading. A complete lack of comprehension for the utter depravity and lack of humanity that he wore like a badge of honor, with a cape of indifference. The shock left her with no room to spit at him, only to ask, _"Why?"_

Jose looked at her, a brow raised as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, and she was asking a very stupid question. "To see if we could make him more pliable, of course," his tone was matter-of-fact in a way that turned her stomach. "He was in such a _rage_ yesterday when we got him here, after the first round of sedatives wore off." The man smiled, shaking his head, "Had he been a conditioned subject, it would have been such a magnificent power to control. He truly continues to be one of our best in terms of ability. Not in terms of will. Too much of that, he's got," Jose trailed off a little, looking back to the dragon in his cage. "But then I had the _brilliant_ idea to test your effect on him. Once I told him, it was like flipping a switch. It was spectacular. He went down like a rock, faster than any tranquilizer we could have ever used." There was a sideways glance to the blunette, "You really have quite a hold on him."

Levy grimaced and her hands shook, but she had to force herself to talk. She was right here, in front of him and very much alive. She couldn't allow him to think or suffer otherwise. "Do you really think that glass will hold him?" she spat, deliberately raising her voice.

The researcher shook with a condescending laugh, bringing a palm to his face in insulting exasperation. "Oh, you sweet child. That is four inches of layered Lexan polycarbonate, with one-sided tint. He's not going anywhere, he can't see us, and he can't hear you either, so don't try."

Levy bit her lip, having been foiled so easily. She was grasping at straws and little more. "So then why am I still here? If I am 'dead' what else could I be good for to you?" the blunette asked, heavily dreading the answer to the question.

"Insurance," Jose answered simply. "Should that beast turn to that thirst for revenge I so _know_ him to be capable of, all I have to do is dangle you in front of him. It is abundantly clear to me that he will do anything for you, out of some poor, misguided emotional investment. And if it comes to that, I will suddenly be the man who brought you back to life, as well as the man who can take it away." The foreboding in his voice was not lost on her. "You are exactly the tailored conditioning tool I needed for him, Levy McGarden. I have been _fortunate_ enough to find some for our others, but never one for him," he shot a look down the hall that made Levy wonder what 'insurance' he could have possibly used against the other poor souls on this floor. "Even when I thought I had truly molded him into the weapon we needed, he _still_ found a way to defy me. And I will _not_ be defied. Not this time. Not when I have worked so hard to expand this company." There was an edge to his words, and she could see him grip his hands together with white knuckles for several tense moments before he relaxed himself and rolled the tension off his shoulders. "Besides, do you really think I can let you walk, knowing what you do? With all that snooping you've done? You did this to yourself; how you must wish you had stayed in your quiet little house."

Levy had nothing to say, and for a moment she wondered if she would have been better off never finding Gajeel or the lab. If she should have just killed her curiosity and let the legend be a legend. _No. I can't live with that kind of ignorance_ , she berated herself. The girl had no idea what would become of her here, or if she would ever see the sun again let alone Gajeel. But she could not justify having not tried to stop such a terrible injustice.

"I have yet to decide if I want to make better use of you once I've sold him, so you are more than welcome to hold your breath on that. Know that if you try any heroics, you will make his life _considerably_ worse," he turned to fully face her, leaning forward to place both hands on either arm of her chair. "And I am sure you are not ignorant to how _hellish_ I can make things for him. So do be a dear and do as you're told. Quietly," his tone had dropped, threatening her. "Your life is in just as much his hands as he is in yours."

"You're sick," Levy muttered, having lost what little confidence she came in there with.

"I prefer brilliant," the proud man replied as he pulled back, standing straight. "We are going to have such an interesting dynamic here, Miss McGarden. I can see it." His eyes flicked up to the silent, shell of a man across from them. "We have learned from our mistakes, and we have built something even greater." A wistful smile, like that of a man who _truly_ believed he was doing something great, crossed his face.

"Now, enough of my talking. You need to rest. I'd _love_ to show you the training hall next. Although you already got a taste of it in the field," he smirked, glancing to her wound. "But I do have to listen to my medical team _sometimes_ and the last I need is you dying before I even get any return from you on the resources you're graciously being supplied…" With that, Jose gave her a taunting wave as she was turned away, her gaze falling on Gajeel last.

The broken shadow of the man that had tried so very hard to save them both from this. Her gaze lingered as long as it could, as though begging him to see her-sense her-until he faded from view with the rest of the line of poor souls, whose lives were in just as much ruin as Gajeel. Her heart bled for all of them, wondering if any of them had someone to care for them anymore. What had Jose used against them to bend them beyond the conditioning?

* * *

 _ **Where is she, where is she?! Give her back to me! I won't let you have her! Get me OUT of here! I will tear this whole damn place down to the ground again. I will finish it! Give her back to me! Don't fuckin' touch m-**_

 _How violently you still fight against me now that you've lost. You're home again, X777. Give in, give up. You know I hate the giving you the shocks like this._

 _ **I'll fucking kill you, Jose! This is over! Give! Her! Back!**_

 _Oh how you call for her, you pitiful beast. 'Where is she?' Don't you know?_

 _ **The fuck you talkin' about?!**_

 _Levy is dead._

 _The girl died right there, in your arms. You brought her to her death._

 _She lost too much blood._

 _X772 tore her up, fragile thing._

 _What a foolish decision she made to interfere._

 _You have nothing left to fight for. You have nothing left to live for. Come home, let me give you purpose._

 _Naïve boy, just give up. Don't fight us, let the medicine kick in again._

 _There now. I will make it all go away._

 _That's it, that's a good soldier._

 _Don't move, now._

The other men had left after ensuring all his sedation lines were connected through his cuffs and thoroughly pumping him with everything that would keep him on his knees, and prevent any more outbursts like the one just before they arrived. Had he not already still felt the effects of the first round, he might have been coherent enough to get past them. But his limbs failed him, and his blurred vision betrayed him. His back still tingled where the voltage had hit him to get him back down to start with.

Ruby eyes, dull like dying coals, turned slowly towards the front of his cell. Through the open doors he saw the devil, standing, watching.

Waiting. There was a small stirring, the remnants of a former self that still felt revulsion for the man.

What did hatred matter now? What did any of it matter? He was right back where he started. And because of him, because of his delusions, he had her blood on his hands. Blood they hadn't washed off of him. It was entirely his fault, and as the stink of it constantly bombarded his nostrils, he couldn't even try to convince himself that it wasn't.

The last thing that he remembered was her screaming, shaking in his arms. He hadn't been able to escape the sound for a second since he awoke. It was the last memory he had of her and it was seared so profoundly into his mind that by no normal means would he ever be able to escape it. It was a sound, an image, and a guilt that would haunt him as long as he was… himself.

All at once, he didn't want to be Gajeel anymore. The monster outside his cell became less and less an object of fear and hatred, and more of a means of escape. An escape from anything that was left of himself. A door to what they wanted him to be: a mindless number.

That was a man that had taken everything from him, and it was a man that could take everything _of_ him. Everything that would perpetuate the agony he felt, the parts of him that knew, loved and remembered Levy McGarden could be taken so easily by Jose. That was the man that could destroy Gajeel Redfox one last time and leave only the emotionless, unattached X777.

He wholly relinquished himself to that. Welcomed it.

There was nothing else left for him.

The doors finally slid shut, leaving him in the sealed box with only the emergency light flashing after he had destroyed the main bulb. Gajeel turned back to face the wall and pressed his forehead on the cold surface, barely noting the sensation with how much tranquilizer had been pumped into his system.

 _Just as deserving of love and kindness as anyone else._

Every one of his muscles tensed and a snarl contorted his face as he headbutted the wall in front of him, shattering that image he had of her. With one final expulsion of the last bit of strength he had, Gajeel Redfox roared everything that was left of him into oblivion.


	15. Chapter 15

"Chief!" The young lieutenant's voice called out across the snow, echoing inside the building where Igneel found himself supervising. "Come see this!" The urgency in his voice brought the red-head outside quickly, trudging through the white frost.

"What have you found, Laharl?" he asked, eyes scanning the area around them. The other officer regarded him with a furrowed brow, standing over a specific area in the snow. Other officers had fanned out over the rest of the property, seeking any clues or signs of activity.

"Signs of a struggle," Laharl replied. He gestured with his hands at areas of the snow that were shallower than the rest, even though a fresh layer of snow had settled over it. "If we had come here maybe a day later, we might not have noticed this at all, the new snow would have covered it," he explained, "From what I can see there is a definite trail from that window," Laharl pointed, then trailed his finger in the direction that followed the set of indentations, "To around here where it looks like the struggle took place in this entire area. Right now it looks to be a radius of about 100 feet, but there might be even more. You can almost see the soil underneath in some places."

"Do you think it was the girl?" Igneel questioned. To his initial disappointment, his lieutenant shook his head.

"No. These are too large to have been her, based on her description, but it doesn't rule out that she was here. I'd wager these tracks are male by the size, and there are multiple sets." Laharl adjusted his glasses, glancing at the intrigued chief. "There was definitely more than one person here, I'd say no more than a day ago judging by the snow cover. They left in that direction," he pointed towards the back perimeter, with the open gate, "And the tracks turn to tire imprints."

A concerned scowl fell onto Igneel's features, and he crossed his arms. "Does any of this help us?"

There was a heavy pause from the younger man, before he stepped over to another area of snow that looked to have been freshly disturbed by him earlier. The red-head followed close behind, less than thrilled by the hesitation. "Depends how we're defining helpful," he said lowly, as he gestured to a spot in the snow that stopped Igneel straight in his tracks.

There was a large, pink area in the ice. The area of discoloration seemed to be the epicenter of the disturbances in the snow, and where Laharl had moved the fresher powder, he could see the more distinct, deep crimson beneath. Now almost turning black with time.

"God damn it…" Igneel hissed under his breath, running a weary hand through his red locks. Between the signs of struggle they had found in Levy's home, and now this… things were not looking good. In any respect. But with the discovery of the blood, they had just been given their cause to travel to Hargeon. "Have you—"

Laharl held up a small, labeled glass vial, with watery red contents within. "Already done. The chill of the snow will have helped preserve the sample, we have a good chance of running it for a match. I've already taken photos of the scene as well."

Igneel nodded, at the very least proud of his officer's efficiency. Makaraov had made a good call recommending him. But now, he had to work hard to steady his breathing. _I can't let Natsu find this out,_ he thought, only able to imagine the reaction from his equally fiery son. "Put a STAT on that sample, I want it processed as soon as possible. Make sure all of this," he waved to the area around them, "Finds its way into the report and nowhere else but Makaraov's desk. The results as well. If we can match it to Levy or any of the missing people we have our case." A curt nod from Laharl ended the conversation, and Igneel turned from him to leave.

Even with the rush on the evidence, it would at least be another day or so until they got a match, regardless of how promising all this was. And even more time after that to present and evaluate all of the evidence for the case. _We don't have that kind of time._ With the most chilling piece of the puzzle uncovered, the entire tone of the investigation had changed. Levy's well being had become significantly more urgent.

They were now walking a very fine line between a rescue, or a recovery mission. And he hoped with everything he had that it was former.

* * *

By her count, it was day three when he brought her up from bed rest again to show her the training hall he had mentioned the day before.

In front of her was a large, thick glass panel that extended across the wall in front of them. The room they were in was fairly small, only large enough for a few people, and an equally small control panel was just in front of the window. Jose had positioned himself there shortly after they entered, and Levy looked down through the window at the large open space below. _Is this an arena?_ Levy swallowed hard.

"I want you to see his progress. What a difference another day can make," the scientist spoke with his back to her, eagerly looking down at the arena. Levy didn't even bother to look at the man, remaining stiff in front of the window. She was going to see him... "Among other things. But I needn't bother you with the technical details…"

At first glance, the empty room just appeared to be an expansive, round area. However, multiple compartments lining the walls, and a large set of doors on opposite ends of the room hinted there was more to it. She leaned forward to try and look at the ceiling, which was vaulted high enough make her think all the combat in here would not be limited to the ground. The only details she could make out at the top were some air vents; exhaust ducts maybe. _They almost look like the vents in a chemistry hood…_ she thought, wondering what could possibly happen within that would require that kind of ventilation. "I take it no one can see into this room, just out?" she asked, tight-lipped.

"Of course," he replied quickly.

 _He loves this. He's playing with me by showing this to me. He could just as easily lock me up and keep me away. Or worse, turn me into one of his subjects…_ she thought bitterly, her eyes sweeping the room around them briefly. Levy couldn't have been more powerless here, but it didn't stop her from studying her surroundings every chance she got.

Memorizing the way to every location, watching the fingers punching codes into every key-pad, and making note of each control system she could identify. The blunette was building a mental map, and marking the spots of interest along the way. If she was given a piece of paper, she'd be able to draw the entire layout of what she had thus far seen from memory, down to the last detail.

Levy was broken from her thoughts by a loud, echoing click, and watched the doors on either side of the room open slowly. From one door, a lithe man with blonde hair stepped through. She squinted to get a better look at him, noticing that the empty expression on his face was eerily similar to Rogue's, and she realized she had seen him in the holding wing the day before. He had no restraints on his hands, but judging by the blank look on his face, it didn't seem like he needed it. A model, conditioned citizen.

"X773, our light user. One of my proudest conditioning products next to our dear Rogue. The two work quite well together actually, we were able to forge a very interesting dynamic with them and their original conditioning process. And they are quite easy to bait against one another, should one ever seek to act up," Jose chimed in, but Levy's eyes were fixed on the other set of doors, barely registering what he told her. She knew who was meant to come through, she wouldn't have been there otherwise, and she wasn't ready for it. "He responds well to Sting," Jose added, bringing her back to the other man.

The blonde stood, composed, staring at the darkness beyond the other doorway.

Sure enough, a large figure slowly ambled out of the dark, feet dragging on the ground. The sight of him struck her cold to her core. Subconsciously, Levy stepped forward to see him better.

His hair was even wilder than it was when they met, concealing much of his face. His entire posture was that of submission, shoulders hunched and cuffed arms hanging limply in front of him. Gajeel stopped in the light, and the door slid shut behind him with a loud boom that didn't even make him flinch.

Levy's eyes shifted to Jose, watching him punch something into the pad by the window. A buzz followed, and suddenly the box-cuffs released from Gajeel remotely, dropping to the floor.

There was a moment where she looked between the two of them, and the setting where they now stood opposite one another, with nothing else in the room. The realization dawned on her heavily, like a slap in the face. "You're… fighting them?" Levy breathed, finally understanding the purpose of the setup, and connecting it to the 'trials' she had read in the journals.

"Testing them," Jose corrected, "How else are we to keep them sharp, and show prospective buyers how their merchandise can perform in combat?"

"What if they refuse?" Levy's eyes focused on the motionless iron dragon.

"They _don't._ "

Another loud buzz filled the room, and the blonde immediately put his hands out to his sides. It seemed that the noise signaled the beginning of the test, but Gajeel had yet to respond like he intended to participate.

There was a brief hesitation, before the other man rushed his opponent, closing the distance as a blur with hands glowing white. Only a puff of dust indicated where he had stood seconds before.

Her stomach dropped when Gajeel flew to the side, impacting the side wall with such force she could hear the boom reverberate around them. He slumped to the floor, and rolled over slowly, barely trying to haul himself up onto his elbows. Sting cast his eyes in their direction, knowing he was being watched even if he could not see. There was something expectant in his gaze, seeking either instruction or approval.

She could hear an annoyed growl from the scientist next to her, who reached for the same control pad and pressed a different key. "Continue!" he barked, and immediately the light-user whirled for Gajeel. So obedient, no questioning.

 _An intercom system? Must be one way unless he presses that button to speak,_ Levy thought, before the next burst of movement drew her attention back to the room. She began to wonder what Jose had meant about him using Sting and Rogue against each other. _Could it be… how he used me against Gajeel? The journals had mentioned them being siblings… would he go so far as threaten them? To get the other to perform?_ The overwhelming answer in her head was _yes._ He _would_ go that far. Even farther.

The fight was a total sweep. Several minutes felt like hours as Sting thrashed a non-responsive Gajeel, throwing him back and forth across the room. Every strike he made on the iron dragon was accompanied with a flash of white light, and for a split second Levy admired how brilliant it was. But he eventually stopped even using his own abilities, and just fists alone. At best Gajeel rolled once, and she could hear a deep, sickening groan of pain. But nothing else. He didn't even try to block.

The tension from Jose only seemed to build, and he shot a sharp glance at Levy, looking at her in a way that implied he was trying to think of something. Almost like he had started to blame her for Gajeel's disappointing 'performance.' Looking back to the comm, he spoke into it again. "Enough!" The doors on either side of the room opened back up. "Place his restraints back on and proceed back into your hall." Sting, without hesitation, retrieved the apparatus and placed it back over the barely conscious man's hands. Grabbing him by the arm, he dragged him to the one set of open doors and tossed him within, before proceeding back to his own exit.

On day four, Jose didn't come for her. But on day five, she was brought to the same place, to watch the same event unfold. Sting adeptly tossed a weakened Gajeel, and she found herself unable to watch. The match was significantly shorter than the first.

Day six was Rogue. When the buzzer signalled the start of the match, he did not rush his battered opponent as eagerly as his brother had. The moment of hesitation did not go unnoticed by neither Levy or Jose, but it only took shouted commands from the scientist to ultimately do as he was told. Albeit, with a great deal less intensity than the previous battle with Gajeel at the lab. More than once it had been clear that he was pulling his punches, less inclined to attack the already downed dragon. Almost as though something had been taken from him in that first fight. Or given.

It took one hit with a tendril of black energy to knock Gajeel down with no sign of getting back up. Barely even a groan. Rogue stood there, staring almost anxiously at the window, waiting for a command to either proceed, or put him away. By that time, Jose was in a near fury, pacing violently. He muttered something about deprivation and failures, and Levy took note of how easily he lost his proud composure when the world did not operate as he saw fit. "God damn useless…" he muttered, "I will not waste him…!" The scientist whirled to the control panel and hit the intercom, "Put him back and return to your entry!"

Rogue did as he was told using his shadows to place his restraints back on and drag him back into his hallway, while the shadow-user turned wordlessly to his own.

"The reintroduction to the treatments should not be _this_ debilitating. He should _at least_ have some residual responses from his past conditioning!" he hissed under his breath, barely pausing in his pacing. He turned his aggravation to Levy, "That useless animal has one last chance to get himself together before I 'bring you back to life' and put you in there with Rogue and let him watch. I will _not_ let this turn into wasted time and funds!" he snapped, causing her to back away from him with horrified understanding on her features. She knew he planned to use her in some way against Gajeel, the way he used the brothers against each other, but the _way_ he planned to struck her with renewed fear.

As long as he was using Gajeel, in any manner, he needed her on standby. Because she was his control on the iron dragon. Even if he had already exerted her effect on Gajeel, Jose had no plans on letting it stop there. If Gajeel continued to defy him, if he lashed out and lost it, Jose could just use her at a moment's notice, and she couldn't even be sure if that would stop him at this point. If Gajeel continued to do anything but what the scientist wanted, Jose planned to _use her_. In whatever manner he needed to. And the idea of being in the same space as Rogue again kept her up that entire night.

* * *

It was another full day before she saw Jose again, thankfully. She'd gotten not a wink of sleep, and spent the day in the infirmary feeling miserable, staring at the ceiling. Jose's warning hung heavy on her, and every time she tried to close her eyes in the night, all she saw was Rogue and his weapons flying for her, igniting a throb of pain in her shoulder. The threat of her being exposed—completely unprotected this time—to that again was enough to keep her tossing through the night.

Her reprieve from the scientist's torment, however, was short-lived. She was fetched again the next day, and found herself staring again at the arena. He had less to say to her this time, and just stared seriously into the space below. He seemed more expectant, and more tense.

The familiar click and hiss of the releasing doors finally echoed around them, and she watched the dark exits anxiously. First, an auburn-haired man emerged into the area, walking smoothly and confidently, head high. Levy vaguely remembered seeing him when she was in the holding wing, and wondered why Jose would switch opponents on the last trial. _Is this is trump card to get Gajeel to do what he wanted?_ she thought.

The blunette leaned forward with intrigue to look him over. He had the same hand restraints that Gajeel usually wore, but shockingly had also had a metal mask over his mouth that locked behind his head. With the additional restraint, she wondered how much difficulty this subject gave them in comparison to Gajeel. From what she could see, one eye was forced shut by a thin, pink scar that ran down the side of his face, and by his walk he seemed very familiar with the setup. Although at the moment, it did not seem that he had any intentions of being anywhere but there. He raised his arms and tilted his head, staring at the window patiently waiting for them to be released.

"X791. Our toxin user, though he seems to far more enjoy basic combat," Jose spoke up, "But more importantly, infuriating enough to make _me_ want to hit him. Another who shows great promise in ability but resists conditioning with gusto… if anyone is going to ignite our dear beast, it's him," he explained. "Calls himself Cobra, for some reason he doesn't bother to go by his real name."

Shortly after, Gajeel entered. Or rather, staggered his way in. The flesh that she could see was blossoming with purple bruises, and fresh scabs littered his skin. His legs shook and almost gave out more than once waiting for the match to begin. As the doors closed behind them, Jose hit the same command that released the restraints as before, freeing both subjects.

The one-eyed man lifted his hands and rubbed his wrists, focusing on Gajeel and giving him a once over. She could hear a chuckle through the speakers, surprised that he had made any sound at all with how silent Rogue and Sting had been. There was life-no- _individuality_ in his eyes.

"I'd _heard_ that you'd come back," the sly man called out to Gajeel, who seemed to flinch at the sound of another's voice. At least it was _some_ sign of life. "How nice of you to join us. Here to fuck up our chances at freedom again?" Cobra tilted his head, a single violet eye scrutinizing the silent beast across from him. The lack of answer or even an acknowledgment of any kind brought a scowl to his face, and as the buzzer sounded, he rushed Gajeel with unbridled eagerness.

Levy watched with a painful sense of déjà vu as Gajeel shot back into the doors he had come through, and Cobra stood for just a brief moment with a knee raised from the kick.

"Fight back," he ordered in a half growl as he strode towards the slumped figure. He stood over Gajeel, reaching down to grab the front of his tattered shirt, lifting him off the ground with a strained heave and spinning him to put his back to the room. "Would you fight if I told you a secret?" Cobra whispered to him with an ever so slight tilt of his head. There was no response. "Pff. Suit yourself." He pulled back a fist, and in another blur, Gajeel was flying back across the length of the room.

She didn't know how much more of this she could take. She felt like she was drowning in her inability to do anything about this torture, and the other man hadn't even shown any of his abilities yet. "He's not…" Levy had started to say, and an annoyed grumble answered her, cutting her off.

"He _will,"_ Jose snapped. "Just wait."

Cobra rolled his head, cracking his neck, and glared at the pathetic lump on the floor across the arena. He knew Gajeel before. What he had been before the collapse. He'd seen that beast in his cage, he'd even faced him once before. There was a fire in his eyes that had never gone out, a hatred that fueled him every day and turned him more and more into an uncontrollable animal, all the way until he found a way to channel that rage to try and engineer an escape. That man was not the same one that was in front of him now. A mere husk, just _existing_ and waiting to die was what faced him.

And it _infuriated_ him. He would not let him just give up, they had no chance otherwise. Giving up let _them_ win. The brothers were a lost cause, and he had not seen the powerhouse since they were moved here, which left him as the one beacon of defiance against these monsters. Damned if he would allow Gajeel to join those obedient ranks.

"Fight back, damn it. Quit wallowing and fight me! Coward!" he snarled, rushing again. "No wonder you couldn't protect her!" He threw a kick towards the side of the downed man, but his eye widened when an iron hand took hold of his ankle. Cobra's violet eyes met with blazing red ones, glowing in the shadow of his face. Fangs glistened in an animal snarl that cut through the air as a sudden and involuntary chill shot through him. _There he is,_ he thought, just before he was violently yanked to the side and found himself impacting the wall for a change.

Levy stared, wide-eyed, at the sudden change. She saw, right in front of her, the effect she had on him.

Cobra coughed to regain his breath but recovered quickly, and watched the iron beast slowly pull himself to his feet, remaining hunched and swaying gently on his feet. Gajeel looked completely feral; everything in his demeanor, even the atmosphere changed. Iron scales spread quickly over his body, and his hands flexed threateningly as he rolled his shoulders with a deep, rumbling growl. He tightened into a stance, planting his feet firmly on the ground. " _How... do you know that?"_ he hissed, his voice reverberating in his chest.

Cobra shook off his surprise and the brewing wariness in his gut. "Don't you remember? And we were so close once," Cobra teased, "I hear everything," the poison user smirked, a dark miasma beginning to swirl around his hands.

That answer wasn't good enough, as Gajeel coiled and rushed forward at the same time as Cobra. The serpent dropped and slid at the last instant, dodging an overhead punch as he threw a maroon wave up at the dragon's chin. The iron dragon flew straight upwards towards the high ceiling, but quickly oriented himself in the air such that the balls of his feet hit the roof and absorbed the impact. With a roar, he shot straight back down at Cobra before he even had time to shift from the previous attack.

A cloud of the toxic miasma exploded outwards shrouded them both, and Cobra let out a shaky breath, crouching mere feet from where the iron dragon had hit. The outward wave had been just enough to redirect an attack he otherwise might not have been fast enough to evade. In the dark, he saw glowing eyes swing towards him, iron bands already locked over his nose and mouth to avoid breathing in the poison. Cobra beat him to the next attack, launching a shoulder charge straight at his chest. Gajeel was thrust back by what looked like a missile of toxic vapor, with Cobra at its center. The iron dragon's back hit the wall once more, but without wasting a second, he lashed out to take Cobra by the throat and swing him outwards to the right onto the wall next to him.

Gajeel released him, only long enough to push off the wall, spin, and position himself back in front of Cobra and take him by the neck again. Effortlessly, he slid and lifted his panting opponent up the wall by the suffocating grip and held him there, gradually tightening his hold. Immediately the miasma dissipated, no longer maintained by the user who was now just struggling to breathe. With his free hand, Gajeel ripped away the bands from the lower half of his face and released several heavy breaths to make up for what he held in.

His head _burned_ with the desire to destroy his opponent, thinking of nothing else but killing what threatened him. Every blow, every surge of pain and agony over the last few days only fueled his rage. No other coherent thought existed besides _winning_. Every sense was electrified with fury, and the "Enough!" over the intercom was only a tiny echo in the back of his tempestuous thoughts. He couldn't even put together his own words, not sure if he'd be able to get out more than incoherent snarls.

Levy was stunned to silence and shallow breaths by the brutality that she had just witnessed. It seemed like it had gone on forever, but in reality it hadn't even been five minutes. Who was this? Was this what they had wanted him to be? She'd never seen _her_ dragon this way, but some part of her knew that this was always in him. She'd read the journals, read the article about the collapse. And even if _he_ wasn't the one that killed all those people, he had started it. And here he was, looking barely human, set off by the mere mention of her.

At first, Jose seemed completely satisfied by the change. Like this was exactly what he had expected would happen. But with Gajeel hovering over a struggling Cobra, not responding to his commands, he became frantic.

"Th-that secret!" Cobra coughed out, grasping uselessly at the iron arm that held him. His voice, literally strangled, wasn't loud enough to be picked up by the comm to the observation room, especially with Jose as distracted as he was. "Don't you—"

Gajeel barked a vicious snarl at Cobra, threatening him to shut up immediately. Permanently. But the man continued to resist, coughing out words. ' _I said enough!'_ The voice called out again overhead, unheeded.

"Damn it," Jose hissed under his breath. "This was the exact problem as…" The man shook his head, using different keys on the pad now, not seeming to be able to punch them fast enough to keep up with the subjects below.

Using his last bit of strength, Cobra used a weak pulse of his miasma to push against Gajeel, loosening his grip only enough for Cobra to slip out and drop back onto his feet. The man lurched forward, taking Gajeel by the shoulders before he could react. "She's _here,_ you idiot," he whispered quickly into Gajeel's ear, knowing they didn't have much time.

As Cobra staggered back against the wall, the dragon threw him a demanding look with some semblance of humanity returning to his features. The iron scales immediately gave way to flesh, and every bit of feral rage he felt started to melt away. He staggered slightly on his feet, sides heaving as the adrenaline left him with only a nauseating twist in his gut. Those four words had knocked the wind out of him, completely. "I told you. I hear _everything_ ," Cobra hissed.

At that moment, two of the several compartments in the walls on either side of the fighters opened. Levy watched what appeared to be two narrow barrels emerge and point abruptly to the subjects. Two quiet shots and a sharp sudden pain brought both of them to the floor. Regardless, Cobra fought as long as he could to keep talking. "Now, you better learn how to use _that_ again and get us out of here... They still don't know, what you did that day… and you're not… the only one he stole someone from…" he mumbled, feeling consciousness leave him quickly with the effects of the tranquilizers.

Before losing himself entirely, Gajeel turned his heavy eyes to the tinted window raised up on the wall above them. ' _She's here, you idiot.'_

It was thankfully an action whose intent was not caught by the researcher next to Levy. It couldn't have been. Because she knew her dragon better than he ever would.

The look in his eyes was enough to leave her feeling completely exposed. He'd never have to speak the words for her to know what he said with that look.

 _I'm coming for you._


	16. Chapter 16

Every blow sings pain through him. They light up every nerve and somehow he only feels half of it. A deep pain aches within him but on the surface his sensations are dulled, like a limb that's fallen asleep. At times he feels like he is watching the abuse from the outside, an agonized spectator to what he absolutely deserves. Gajeel watches the other subjects tear him apart piece by piece, and more than that he sees everything he thought he could have been… _they_ could have been, torn apart. Every piece of him that's ripped away, he hears the same two words boom through his thoughts: she's dead.

 _Levy is dead._

No, that wasn't quite right. She wasn't dead. She was murdered. Levy died screaming and it was his fault.

Of course it was his fault. Had he stayed away from her, she would have never been drawn into this. None of this was a surprise, he always knew in some part of him that it would all come back to this. He should have known that Jose would return for him, that was inevitable from a man… no, a demon as voracious as he was. In any amount of time, at any time, Jose was bound to return.

But still, Gajeel couldn't resist himself around her. He knew to keep his distance, but he had been so selfish that he convinced himself to go against his instincts. His desire for her presence and his craving for the peace she brought him clouded every logical thought he had and she paid the price for it.

His thoughts slowly turned to what-if's. What if he hadn't left her that night? What if he hadn't let his fear and anger get the best of him? What if he had given her the benefit of the doubt? He imagined being there when Jose came for her. How easy it would have been to end everything there, kill him at the door. Absolutely _destroy_ him for even trying to use her against him.

But he _wasn't_ there. He didn't end it. He didn't save her.

He lost everything.

Every waking moment reminds Gajeel of it. Every time he sees Jose's face, he is reminded of it. It was the sole reason every time he was restrained and brought out for treatments that he welcomed them with empty compliance. Like fire the lacrima pulsed power through him, and each time he was forced into a change, he could feel more of himself being chipped away.

His thoughts became fuzzy after each treatment, and after both Rogue and Sting thoroughly defeated him, he could feel himself slipping away more. Gajeel was losing his hold on himself, and it was only a matter of time until they achieved the feral, mindless soldier they wanted, or until the treatments and injuries killed him. He welcomed either option.

Gajeel convinced himself, decided, that was what he deserved: to lose himself. In any capacity. This way, the memories of her screams that haunt him day and night become more muffled, and were a dull echo by the time he was thrown into the ring with Cobra.

At this point it felt the same as the other matches. The pain was still dulled, but this time there was a voice. Rogue and Sting didn't speak. This one does. Gajeel couldn't make out any of his words, and it was a muffled hum until he felt something yank in his chest. It was such an unfamiliar sensation that for a moment he felt awake, and for a split second, the words were clear, and something snapped.

 _Not her, you bastard!_ Gajeel felt everything, and above all, he felt absolute rage. He felt fire and bloodlust and a taste of the animal he'd come so close to so many times before. It had taken so much in the past to bring him there and this time… all it took was her. The mere mention of _her_. And Cobra had the misfortune of being the soul in front of him when the switch happened. Now nothing else mattered but killing his opponent. It was his only directive, his only instinct, and nothing but the downfall of his counterpart would stop him.

It felt like both forever and no time at all before he could feel the pulse of Cobra's jugular beneath his iron palm, struggling to beat. And then, he lost his grip. The victory slipped from his hands for a split second and before his rage could surge again, the words that had been an echo, a whisper at the back of his thoughts, rang through as clear as day.

" _She's here, you idiot."_

Then, everything stops. He is a hurricane tamed, an unstoppable force meeting its immovable object. The fire in his veins dies out, the air leaves his lungs, the roar in his ears goes silent.

 _Levy._

As much as he worked to forget her, silence her memory, there she is. There is her blue hair and her warm eyes and her kind smile. She isn't screaming, she isn't dying; she's holding her hand out to him and calling him back from the darkness. The memory of her calling his name is the cruelest fabrication of his thoughts, but still he can hear it so clearly.

 _She is here. She is alive?_

Which, more than anything, meant she was in danger. That, for him, was redemption reincarnate. Soon enough, she was a rushing river flowing life back into his broken hull, making him whole again. It smashed the conditioned walls that had nearly completed sealing up who he was. The current swept up the shreds left of him and wove them back together in an embrace he thought he could only dream of.

He had no way of knowing if Erik was lying to him. That didn't matter nearly as much as the prospect that she could truly be here. Gajeel wouldn't dare take the chance of ignoring the snake.

In that same token, he knew Erik wasn't lying, Gajeel could feel it. He lifted his eyes to look to the grey glass panel that was a barrier between him and the spectators behind it.

 _She is alive._

Something in him stirred and he felt a burst of adrenaline. Like drums, his blood beat in his ears and Gajeel could feel himself returning with each thrum.

 _Levy is alive._

All at once, he knew exactly what he needed to do. Erik's plea reached him loud and clear just before he felt the sting of the tranquilizers. Before darkness engulfed his sight, he resolved himself to his final task, and the trigger he knew he needed for it. _I'm coming for you, shorty._

* * *

By the ninth day she was fully exhausted. Levy no longer felt like she was being given a tour of the exhibitions there. Instead the woman resolved herself quietly to the imprisonment that consisted entirely of her usefulness to the researcher. The little backup plan on standby, the trump card to be revealed at a moment's notice to cripple her dragon once more. That was what she had been brought down to until she could think of something to get out of this. Cooperating, for now, was her best option. And her list of options was already short.

Still, Levy couldn't tear her thoughts from the look he had given her at the end of Cobra's match. But, really, how could she have even been sure he was looking _at_ her? She spent all night thinking about that look, seeing those red eyes with more life in them than there had been during his whole time there. By morning, Levy hadn't made up her mind what it meant, but chose to use it to fuel her hope. She needed _something_ to cling to.

But even with that, there was little Levy could do, still not knowing even the general direction of an exit, or even having the ability to make a run for one if she did. The blunette wasn't near healed yet and Jose had her under lock and key.

Jose remaining oblivious to "the look" was a blessing, however the air as she stood in the observation room again was still tense. In some ways, the scientist had gotten exactly what he was working for yesterday, but in the end still lost control of the situation. At this point, she felt if it went wrong again, she would be introduced to the new aspects of her role here.

Which lead Levy to think: what _would_ happen if Jose revealed her to Gajeel again? Would Gajeel even recognize her at this point? It had been seven days now at their mercy, beaten again and again in the arena and subject to who even knew what kind of experiments in the background. He looked so dead inside, and as much as it broke her, she couldn't be sure that her dragon was still there.

Jose said nothing to her, a heavy scowl sitting on his features. His demeanor, the one of pride and manipulation, seemed to have fallen away. The game had become a lot less fun for him now that things were not going his way, and it showed. Levy swallowed hard, shifting uncomfortably under the weight of the atmosphere.

Slowly, she moved her attention to the arena, waiting again for the competitors to appear. Levy tensed, and a dull ache resulted from her barely-healed shoulder. With a loud hiss the doors opened up on either side, and she waited for the men to enter.

Rogue appeared first, and Levy felt her stomach twist a little. She couldn't help but wonder about the purpose in putting Rogue against Gajeel again. Perhaps because Gajeel had started to comply in some way, Jose felt putting him against someone with the desired conditioning level would even him out. It might have been a conditioning process in of itself. From the beginning, in everything she had read, these two were the ones that fit together for the trials. Rogue was the success, and Jose wanted desperately for Gajeel to become that.

The iron dragon finally stepped out of the dark, with far more composure to his stance than any of the days before. He walked with purpose, his back straight and his arms visibly tense against his metal restraints. He was alert, focused, and more importantly, _present._

Levy glanced to Jose, who also appeared to notice the change in Gajeel's stature. The newfound vigor was obvious, and from what she had read in his journals, Jose was more than familiar with it. And rightfully wary of it. Its resurgence was likely a source of either great uneasiness, or great frustration for the researcher. But it was still far too early to recognize if it was a sign of disobedience, or if it heralded the transition into the specimen he was looking for.

The doors closed noisily behind the men, and Gajeel shifted slowly on his feet as the cuffs released from his wrists. With a shrug of his shoulders and a barely audible growl, the iron scales manifested across his beaten flesh. The iron covered the bruises and scabs, and armored him readily for the fight ahead. His breaths were deep and even, focused, and his eyes never left Rogue. It was a heavy gaze that perturbed even the heavily conditioned male across from him. Something had changed; something he could not pinpoint. And being trapped in that room with him was more unsettling than it had been before.

The wait for the starting buzz was nearly suffocating. She couldn't stop looking from Jose to Gajeel, feeling the anticipation of _something_ growing in the silent space. Levy couldn't shake it, and the anxiety was enough to make her sick.

The sound finally cut the air, and as much as she expected both of them to rush at the same time, it was only Rogue that advanced. It might have been preemptive measures to strike down whatever it was that he saw in front of him now, before Gajeel could reveal what it was that had already set the shadow-user on edge. His darkness stormed around him violently, and Gajeel merely opened himself up to the oncoming attack. With a heavy boom, Rogue shouldered Gajeel into the wall behind him, and a pained cough erupted from him.

With an outward swipe of his fist, he pushed Rogue back, but didn't move nearly fast enough to land any sort of significant hit. All it did was establish space again, and Gajeel merely side-stepped in a way that his back now faced the left, a good amount of open space behind him. And then he opened his guard again, beckoning Rogue to him with a cock of his head. If Rogue didn't know better, he might have thought he saw a smirk on his face, the flash of something wild and hungry in his eyes.

"What the _hell_ is he doing?" Jose growled under his breath. This wasn't the broken creature that had first stepped in here, but it also wasn't the fighting machine he had witnessed against Rogue. It was an indescribable grey area that he had no use for.

"Come on," Gajeel growled under his breath, and Rogue stared at him for a moment, before charging again. Once close enough, he cut a shadow-engulfed fist up at Gajeel's chin, launching the iron dragon up to hit the ceiling with another booming impact. There was a roar of pain, and gravity had only barely started to bring him back down before Rogue was midair to meet him, twisted from a kick that sent Gajeel back down to the ground faster than the onlookers could see. He hit on his side with such force that he bounced and hit the wall for a second impact.

As Rogue dropped back down to the ground, he wasted no time with his shadow tendrils, reaching out to wrap around Gajeel's ankles and throw the man over into another wall. The pain shot through him like before, and he could feel his chest tighten as the survival instincts began to rise in him. His focus shifted to the pain that set his senses ablaze, and could see the edges of his vision begin to blur. He was more aware of the pain now, his senses heightened since his last battle. He felt everything in full, and his instincts had something to take hold on again. Gajeel clenched his teeth, a growl building within him as he pulled himself up to his feet again. _You're losing,_ he thought to himself over and over. He tried to fixate on losing, and what would happen if he did. What would happen to _her_ if he did. He felt that fire briefly with Cobra, and he needed to again: _now._

 _If I lose, she doesn't make it. If I lose, I fail her again. I can't lose her again. I won't be a tool. I won't let him beat me. I need to survive, survive, survive..._

The feral rage was welling up within him and as the adrenaline began to course he knew exactly where he was headed. His breaths quickened, his heart raced, and he felt the burning in his skull. Gajeel felt his grip on himself slipping as he hissed through his teeth. Rogue positioned to attack again, unaware of the slow shift, and with this final piece in place, Gajeel suddenly whirled to the reflective window, and bellowed his last resort.

"SAY SOMETHING!"

Levy reacted instinctively, reflexively, without a second thought or single regard for the pain that the jolt of motion brought within her. She moved so quickly that Jose didn't even have a chance to react, and urgently pressed the same button she had seen Jose use multiple times before. The one she had memorized with half-baked plans for escape.

"GAJEEL!" her voice cried out, piercingly, over the intercom and echoed throughout the arena. Immediately following, agony erupted from her shoulder as Jose yanked her back by her injury, his slender fingers digging excruciatingly into her flesh.

"You stupid gi—!" Jose couldn't even finish his statement, a sudden roar filling room. He looked urgently to the arena below just in time to see Gajeel overcome Rogue. It was a blur, but when he stopped, he had Rogue pinned on his back to the floor by his neck. The iron dragon loomed over him, face like a hungry animal.

The second he heard her voice, before she even finished the first syllable of his name, his world burst back into life. Everything of his being became about her, and only one thing was on his mind: _she's here, she's here, she's here…_

Gajeel's eyes glossed over, glowing, and he arched his back to puff out his chest, tightening his hold on the shadow-user. The iron dragon inhaled sharply, and much to Rogue's surprise, and Jose's horror, the shadows were drawn into Gajeel's maw. A tangible aura began to manifest around him, rolling off his darkening hide in waves, and Rogue went pale with the realization of what he was trying to do. He'd seen him do this once before, nearly killing everyone in the process.

"You can't!" Rogue gasped in a moment of reason, memories flooding his thoughts of the day six years ago when this had happened before. Gajeel had no idea of what he had done then. It was an instinctive switch to stay alive, and it almost leveled the old facility. His surge of power had lasted only about five minutes, but it was enough time for him to set into motion the events that led them to _this_ facility before he fled with what was left of his strength. Rogue felt a chill spread through him, remembering what Gajeel had looked like that day, and what he started to look like now.

In a sharp jerk backwards, Gajeel stumbled back off of Rogue towards the center of the room, a dark sheen over his iron scales as the shadows now swirled around him as well. He swayed steadily from side to side, a wide grin curled on his features that bared his fangs. His black mane moved with a phantom wind, rising around him in menace. A chuckle started to shake his chest and the dark vortex around him picked up speed, adding wild life to his black locks.

His head rolled back on his shoulder, focusing his darkened, tilted gaze on the observation window. The laughter jumped to a fever pitch and he lifted a single, dark finger to point in the direction of the unseen watchers. " _Jose~!"_ Gajeel bellowed threateningly, just before noticing the compartments begin to open up along the walls of the arena.

Jose jolted into motion then, previously frozen in terrified awe. On his face he had what looked like a realization, like he had just connected two details in a distant memory. He pulled the girl to him, backing away from the window. _Is this…?_

Gajeel knew he had no time to waste now that he had set this in motion. He didn't know how long he could hold this power, but all he knew was he felt the insane surge now. And he would use it.

He inhaled deeply, the shadows becoming violent, as his chest and cheeks puffed. Both fists clenched at his sides and he arched back, turning his attention directly up to one of the several ventilation shafts above them. A rumble, and then a high-pitched screech filled the air, as a blast of black and gold launched upward from Gajeel, striking the vent directly. A series of rapid crashes and booms immediately followed with a flash of flame, before all the lights cut out.

Levy barely had the time to see the blast as she was pulled, kicking and screaming, from the room, pain searing through her. "Stop your squirming and get moving!" Jose barked, voice shaking with panic. They emerged into halls that were lit only with the red pulses of the fire alarms, but Jose moved knowing exactly where to go. Of course he did. Every door previously sealed shut now sat wide open, and she could barely distinguish Jose's muttering about generators failing. Something about damage elsewhere and a loss of backup power.

Both nearly lost their footing when another explosion rocked the facility, and a heat pressed at their backs as roofing and debris fell from above and littered the walkways. A roar followed closely behind the destruction, one that did not sound like Gajeel. Jose froze for a second, a choked, guttural sound escaping him over the chaos. Levy couldn't tell for sure, but he looked paler than usual. The pause only lasted a moment before he jumped their pace, and she tried not to fully scream in pain, feeling the warmth of her reopened wound spread down her arm.

Jose turned a sharp corner, stopping in front of an elevator without thinking. "Damnit!" he hissed at the lifeless machine, tightening his grip on her to keep moving. Another boom came, this time from far under their feet, and Levy had an idea of the location, confirmed by the sharp curse from Jose. "That insolent-!" he shouted, barely able to finish a thought, "I will not have this happen again, I will not lose everything again!" he bellowed, looking back to Levy quickly as they navigated the halls. "You! You are going to stop him!" he shouted, jabbing his finger at her.

That was the final straw to break her out of her agonized stupor. With a sharp rush of determination, Levy yanked suddenly enough from Jose to slip from his grasp. "The hell I am!" she stumbled backwards, eyes darting around her frantically for anything that could help her. A third explosion from below dropped more debris, and Jose followed her gaze to a dislodged piece of piping. Both lurched for the item, Levy doing her best to push past the pain and reach it first. Her good hand scrambled for the pipe, and she clumsily swept it upwards at the man as she fell onto her good side. The blow glanced off the side of his face, enough for him to lose his balance with a curse of pain.

Levy kicked away from him and scrambled to her feet, pipe in hand, and made a run for it, trying to get as far as she could before he was able to regain his bearings. The woman only knew how to get down to holding, and up to the infirmary, but none of this knowledge served her when there was no power for the elevators. The best she could do was run until she found stairs, or any other helpful landmark. But with the alarms blaring in her ears, light limited, and the building beginning to crumble around them, this was not something she had the luxury of taking time to figure out. _Gajeel, where are you?!_

She looked to her shoulder, seeing her shirt darkened to a color other than what she woke up with. _Not good,_ she thought, staggering slightly on her feet. She thanked the heavens for her panic, and primarily, her adrenaline. It was likely the only reason she could move at all at this point.

Levy whipped around another corner, seeing another long open hall, identical to the last. She could have been going in circles for all she knew, a thought that brought a sense of dread with regards to the man she was trying to gain distance from. She had to bite back the defeated whimper that threatened to rise, and the burning in her eyes that could have been tears or smoke. She wasn't sure.

The red alarm light dimmed, putting her into the momentary darkness. Either it was her panic or her heightened sense of awareness, but Levy could swear the darkness between the pulses lasted longer than before. For a moment, she thought maybe the power to the alarms might have died as well, but the blaring continued. She took a tentative step forward, the pounding of her blood in her ears urging her to move even if she couldn't see.

Her breath hitched, a sharp pain spreading from her shoulder, stopping her again, because it was followed by a chill slithering up her spine. Suddenly, there was a heaviness in the air, and the hairs on her neck stood up, alerting her to another presence. Levy could feel the color drain from her face, either from her bleeding wound or the terror that roared through her. When the red light finally illuminated the path in front of her again, she found her instincts to be right on point.

Her lungs deflated in a defeated, desperate huff, grip tightening on her very useless weapon in comparison to who blocked her path. The whimper she had kept at bay earlier finally escaped as she stared into those dark eyes.

"Rogue…"

* * *

"Sir!" The panicked, sudden cry from Laharl brought Igneel's attention up from the vehicle he was about to enter. Immediately after the shout, what sounded like the rumble of thunder followed.

Urgently, the chief looked to his lieutenant, then followed the direction of his point. A massive stack of black, acrid smoke rose from somewhere farther within Hargeon, where they had only arrived and begun to canvas not an hour ago. In one sense, it was a gift, as their search thus far had yielded no answers to the location of the new facility. In fact the locals were more likely to walk in the other direction, feigning frightened ignorance, than give them a moment of time for questioning. The smokestack was assuredly the marker for their destination.

On the other hand, their situation had just become far more dire. "Move it! I want all our available units and the Hargeon department converged on that spot, now! That's our place, Laharl!" Igneel bellowed, entering his cruiser and slamming the door shut behind him. _God damnit, I can't have this fail after coming this far, I can't fail them!_


	17. Chapter 17

Cold, dark, and unrelenting. The dragon did his best to refrain from senses, they only slowed him down. The pain was constant, sharpening in intervals that shot down his throat and into his chest, seizing his haggard breaths. The adrenaline did well to keep him moving through it, the corners of his vision blurred to only leave the dead center in focus. Nowhere to look but forward. Gajeel wheezed heavily, and slumped against a wall. His head rolled back and he tried to take a deeper breath, to steady himself. He gathered the scent of smoke, metal, and the other subjects. But not what he was looking for.

This power was draining, and it was starting to wear away at him. He knew it would and he planned for this, but still. He needed to act quickly if he was going to get her out of this. The roars would take their toll later when his drive wore off, but for now he was riding the rage, and it kept him going forward, even if he had slowed down.

Gajeel's stunt had knocked out the power so spectacularly, sending explosions through the ventilation shafts of half the facility, that it subsequently opened every cell in the facility. Every power backup failed in the wake of the surge. The sounds of chaos slowly building below was all he needed to know that they had made their choices, just as they had done before. And they chose freedom, and violence.

There was a sudden chill, and he felt his hair prickle and stand up with static. Immediately after, a second cataclysmic boom rocked the facility and he heard _him_ roar. A small smirk tugged at his lips, before a chill of a different kind settled over him and completely distracted him.

The smell of fear.

The shadows that accompanied him whipped, and his teeth grit painfully. Gajeel heaved off the wall and his glazed eyes focused behind him, looking for blue. What he found instead was an annoyance and a mere obstacle keeping him from what mattered. The guards stood, feigning a unified front, but he knew how this would go. Even with their weapons, they were only human, and Gajeel was more now than he had been the last time they faced this way.

With a snarl he stomped towards the armed, but definitely fearful men that were somehow supposed to stop or kill him. Neither was going to happen-not this time-as he swung an arm, slashing out his shadows to slam the small group all at once into the wall with such force that they crumpled to useless heaps on the floor. A single move, a single black wave. Definitely more now than he was before.

Immediately Gajeel swung his fist into the wall with a snarl, trying to calm the desire to do more than knock them out. The beast in his thoughts raged, bellowed, and demanded more control than it was being afforded. It threw itself against the walls of the mental cage he tried to keep it in, and the more time that passed the more he could feel it damage those walls. He hunched forward, hissing through his sharp teeth as the shadows wrapped around him, staying him from ripping out their throats.

After several tense moments, he took another sniff, but still couldn't pick up what he sought out. Not over everything else; there was too much and now he found himself wondering if he could find her in the chaos at all. Doubts aside, his only choice was to keep moving and to pray he got to her in time. Either before the monster in his head broke through, or before he collapsed.

A blast of hot air hit him from a split pipe above, and as he crept around a corner, he finally picked up on two scents. The first, he knew. Even if the smell of lavender was gone, he knew her smell. And, agonizingly, he knew the smell of her blood. That alone was enough to send him over the edge, but it was the scent that accompanied hers that nearly threw him into oblivion. Gajeel violently bit out a snarl and slammed extra force into his steps as he lurched forward into a run. His gut twisted, and he balled his fists, shadowed iron scales all but prickling over his skin.

" _Rogue!_ " he wheezed harshly, barely sounding like himself.

The scent of the shadow user mingled with _hers_ , and the emotions he felt all blurred together. He was terrified, furious, but most of all: desperate. Was she dead? Rogue had already nearly killed her once, and Gajeel had only just gotten her back, in a way. He couldn't have her torn away a single time more or he might not survive it.

Gajeel slid around another corner, forced to come to a halt to avoid something bursting up from the floor below. His arms lifted to shield his face from debris, and peered through the gap between his arms to see sparks of gold within. Yellow eyes swung to fix on him, glowing through the dark piercingly.

The iron dragon tensed, ready to face off with the volatile, unpredictable subject, but no attack came. Instead, he heard his voice. "I know where he is…" he spoke hoarsely, a deadly calm in his tone.

Gajeel paused, weighing his priorities. If Jose's greatest lackey had found her already, then finding him was his best chance of finding her. As dangerous as _this_ subject was, Gajeel's only choice was to follow him in unspoken camaraderie against the evil that had created them. He knew how badly this man wanted to kill the scientist, maybe more than Gajeel himself. But it couldn't happen that way, especially not if Levy was there, or if he knew where she was. "Give me five minutes. With him."

The other man was quiet for a moment, angry sparks flying off of his flesh, until understanding finally won out over his rage. "Five minutes."

* * *

"Rogue…" Levy gasped, her body slumping with defeat. She was so tired. So very tired, and the life draining from her right shoulder weighed her down and started pulling the fight she had left with it. She could deal with Jose. Jose was only human and too proud for his own good. She had a hope of facing off with Jose and his ego. But this... _him…_

Still, Levy fell back a step as he advanced. But it was tentative, and his face was different. It was frightened, his breaths were fast and uneven, and his eyes constantly flicked away from her to check their surroundings. He didn't look like the empty, obedient, deadly focused subject that attacked her with such precision before.

"Don't run," he said firmly, but she could hear some semblance of _self_ in his tone. It wasn't blank as it had been before, it almost sounded like he was begging her not to. Rather than ordering to, as he easily could.

Levy's instincts still forced her back, and as if in response to his presence, a sharp pain ignited in her shoulder. Impatient, and unwilling to wait for the frightened girl to calm, Rogue finally moved forward quickly, closing the distance between them and took hold of her good shoulder. Levy went stiff, a pleading on her face directed up at the man as all she could do now was silently beg for him to let her live.

"My brother," Rogue finally said, a waver in his voice that stifled her panic as her eyes went wide. "I need to find my brother, before they… before I lose myself again," Rogue trailed off and Levy was reminded suddenly of what they were. They were people who had lives torn away from them, and they had those they cared about. Through her panic she finally recalled everything she had read, how Jose used the brothers against one another. How she wondered what was stolen from all the others to get them to comply. Just as she had been stolen from Gajeel. "I can't… I can't, if I see Jose I'll…" Rogue shut his eyes suddenly and released her, shaking his head to fight off something she couldn't see. "I need my brother."

Levy understood then. He barely had a grasp on himself, brainwashing of that level was not going to be removed in an hour. However, without the presence of the one that controlled him, and with the possibility of getting something that important, it allowed him to break through, just enough. "They've kept you from him?" Levy finally asked, carefully.

Rogue nodded slowly. "I haven't seen him," he paused, furrowing his brow to try and remember, but he gave up with a shake of his head, "in a long time. They let me hear him, to know he is alive. So I know if I fail, if I disobey, they will hurt him. I don't know what he looks like now."

Levy had nothing to say, but what she felt was familiar. She had felt it many times before with Gajeel. Where he had told her something, more casually than she could wrap her head around, and it absolutely floored her. For Rogue, and what had also been taken from him, her heart broke.

Even with nothing from her, he continued to speak, and she could feel his sense of urgency grow. "X777… Gajeel, I can take you to him." Levy started, her heart jumping into her throat when he spoke his name. "He's the one the conditioning never reached. He's our way out," he added. "He's yours, right?" The ambiguity of the question took her a moment, but knowing who else was in the halls hunting either of them, she nodded. The male inhaled, and turned to look behind him, wordlessly indicating their direction.

Having no other option, she moved to follow him. "This floor has the arena, as well as the research labs. The floor below us is holding… above is the infirmary and offices." Rogue thought aloud, trying to remember the layout the best he could as much as he was trying to tell her where they were.

Levy opened her mouth to speak, when a shattering boom and the same unfamiliar roar echoed beneath them, knocking her off her feet with a cry of pain. Cracks shot up the walls around them, and the flashing alarm lights suddenly became blindingly bright as the air shifted around them. She could see Rogue whip around with wide eyes and look as though he had picked up a scent in the air, but it was hard to tell. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and with a loud snap the panic lights died and the alarm silenced. The only sound left was the steady rumble of the struggling structure, with screams and slams echoing from somewhere around them.

Plunged into complete darkness, Levy felt her heart begin to race and the urgency of the situation settled on her again. "Rogue?" she called into the dark, but nothing answered her. Levy pulled herself to her feet shakily and took a few steps forward, reaching blindly into the dark. "Rogue!" Levy called a little louder, flinching when another explosion rattled the ground beneath her feet.

Her first thought was that he had fled, and the next thought was _what_ had he fled from? She had heard that roar twice, and both times the men she found herself with had looked like they wanted to climb out of their skin.

Levy moved backwards a few steps, whirling with the pipe in her hand to the darkness behind her. She looked in every direction, trying to follow the noises to figure out which way the halls faced, but her senses failed her. The fear started to build again, and she did her best to swallow it down, trying to shake the burning sensation from her eyes. Because now was _not_ the time.

The blunette steeled herself in the dark, held her pipe out in front of her, and started to walk. Once it hit the wall, she was able to turn and use that as a guide. The sounds in the facility were becoming more and more terrible, and the uneasy prickle on her neck wouldn't go away. It was desperate enough to think she could get out of here when she could see, but now that there was nothing to aide her, it seemed all but hopeless.

"JOSE!"

The roar bellowed through the halls, and her heart leapt into her throat. It echoed all around her, and she couldn't pinpoint where it even came from. She knew that voice. She would know that voice anywhere. It was distant, and after a moment she picked a direction and kept her hand on the wall to guide her and move as quickly as she could.

The sound of something being demolished followed.

* * *

Gajeel's fist trembled, shaking off pieces of debris from the destruction to his right. The white light, originating from Sting's fingertips, fell upon him and also illuminated the slimy, terrible man whose skull was still infuriatingly intact. He had lost Rogue's scent as quickly as he had found it, but Levy's was still very much present. He could pick up traces with Jose's scent, and the blood on his hands was enough to slowly pick the lock containing the monster in his head. Her blood, and her smell, were the only parts of her present.

Jose hadn't been his priority, for once. Levy was at the top of his list, especially with time limited. Five minutes with Jose should have been all the time he needed to get Levy back. He hadn't expected the other subject to agree, but he wouldn't question it or risk setting him off.

But after all that, here they were. Without Levy. And he was no closer to knowing where she was.

Jose turned, and the look on his face, in any other situation, would have been overwhelmingly satisfying. The color was gone from his features, and he was a deer in headlights looking over his shoulder at the man that had made his own doorway into the room. His hands were poised over a mess of papers on the desk, light provided by the blank-faced blonde that had faced Gajeel multiple times in the arena. The walls of the room were lined with multiple fume hoods, and Gajeel could only guess that this was the hub of their ongoing research. And where every valuable piece of data was for him, it was pathetic that in all this, he made it a priority to come here first, to save his precious work.

"God damnit, Sting, what the hell are you doing!" Gajeel hissed, but the words did not hit their mark. There was a flicker in Sting's eyes, but nothing much more. Even after all this, when freedom was again in their reach, he wouldn't disobey the scientist and could not break through the conditioning.

"G-G-Gajeel," the previous confidence, the assuredness of a man who had the upper hand, was gone. His voice cracked, his hands shook, and his eyes constantly moved from Gajeel to Sting. "I am sure there is s-something we can—"

"Where is she?" Gajeel rumbled, his question punctuated with another explosion elsewhere in the facility. "Fucker, I smell her all over you. _Where is she?!"_ he snarled like a rabid animal, flashing sharp teeth.

Jose's mouth hung open uselessly, completely at a loss on how to answer him as an entirely new revelation rocked through him.

He knew. He knew she was still alive, and the reveal of the information had not happened in a way that would be even the least bit advantageous to him. So what, if anything, could he say to the furious dragon? He lost the girl, but he also had her blood on his hands. Was she dead or alive in the crumbling halls? Had she bled out by now after he tore open her stitches? "I-I don't have her." The wrong answer, definitely the wrong answer, because the unspoken meaning was ' _I lost her._ ' He could see the shadows gather onto Gajeel's face, and unwittingly, the light guttered around Sting for just a moment.

The scientist inched behind his only protection, the desperation on his face giving himself away to the fact that he was grasping at straws and didn't have a single plan of action. Anticipating the tense situation to break at any second, Sting widened his stance and lifted his glowing fists in front of him defensively.

Jose's answer did not sit well with the iron dragon in any respect, because it meant that she was out there, in danger, or worse. And it was Jose's fault. Gajeel tensed and straightened a bit, his shadows swirling right up around him in a quick flourish. He started to growl, but it turned into a gargle and he coughed harshly, the shadows flickering away for just a moment. Gajeel staggered, but regained himself quickly, even with a trail of blood running down the corner of his mouth that he hastily wiped away with the back of his hand.

Sensing the slightest bit of weakness, Jose forced a small laugh, "You can't keep that up." He tried, desperately, to pull together some composure to talk down the other dragon. Because in a fight with a clear-headed Gajeel against Sting, he knew who would win. Conditioning be damned, only one other suspect was consistently stronger than X777. So Jose had no other choice than to try and manipulate him out of a fight. " _She_ wouldn't want you to be this way, would she? She had so much to say about what she _thought_ you could be," he smirked, feebly. She may not be here but it didn't mean he couldn't try to do what he initially intended to with her.

"She ain't here," Gajeel replied in a cold tone that wiped the smile right off Jose's face. "An' as I see it, you're to blame." At that moment, a form emerged from behind him, matching and even exceeding his bulk. Yellow sparks flew off the man's body, and the scientist's horror was palpable enough that it nearly took over Gajeel's senses. The predator inside him screeched, begging to tear into his flesh when he was most vulnerable.

"The halls are clear," the newcomer growled.

"Y-Y-Y-You!" Jose nearly fell backwards, clutching his research to his chest as though it would somehow provide salvation. Every bit of his feigned composure was gone in a second and he looked like he might soil himself. This was over, there was no talking his way out of it now. He had only one option left. "S-Sting! Eliminate him! I ORDER you!" the scientist shouted, and the light user raised his hands, white light growing around his fists. "Kill them both or your brother dies!"

Sting leaned forward to follow his orders, but Gajeel made the first move and rushed faster than his opponent had seen him move before. His visage, surrounded by shadows, struck pure, instinctive fear into Sting, despite the conditioning. A look of surprise broke the composed visage, and with a yelp Jose staggered backwards as a flash of white signaled their collision. Sting slid backwards several feet, eyes wide as he kept his steaming forearms crossed in front of him. Gajeel's fist had impacted right at the center.

A frustrated snarl spread on his face, and Sting was just winding up to counter the assault when he stopped abruptly. His light flickered, and his eyes went wide with more emotion than Gajeel had seen on the man's face… ever.

Slowly, his gaze moved to the side of the room, where movement had also caught Gajeel's attention. The scent followed, and his initial instinct was to fight, to go after him, but he stopped himself. The reality, the true significance of the scene hit him immediately after, and Gajeel fixed his eyes back on Sting as he pulled his fist and backed away. Even the lightning user stopped, waiting to see what would happen.

"Brother?" Sting croaked, his voice dry and hoarse from lack of use.

The shadow user emerged into the ambient light, and without an ounce of hesitation Sting left Jose's protection. He fully stepped away from the man that had ruled his life, going straight for what he had thought would be lost to him forever. Awareness lit Rogue's features, accompanied by the yearning of someone who had just regained something long lost.

With this development, a smile spread on Gajeel's dark face, and a laugh finally shook him, growing slowly. He turned his cruelly mirthful glare to the man who thought he could inch his way out the other door during the fight. "Ya ain't got nothin' left." Jose was shaking visibly, exposed and abandoned. He turned in a final attempt to leave out the other door, but stopped short.

"I thought I heard something goin' on here," Cobra's smooth voice emerged from the dark, and Jose nearly tripped over his feet, backing away instinctively to gain distance from Cobra… which only put him closer to Gajeel and the sparking behemoth next to him. "How interesting."

"You all will _listen_ to me! There will be consequences for your disobedience!" Jose cried out, sputtered even. He was hunched over the precious data held close to him, his gaze whipping back and forth between all the subjects, all of whom blocked his exits.

"I also think I heard all your staff fleeing the building. Guess they finally learned we just aren't worth it," Cobra added, smirking. "No one is helping you this time, rat. And you will pay for everything… everyone you took away from us. All of us."

Jose looked to Cobra blocking one exit, then to the twins standing side by side with eyes fixed accusingly on him. Finally, his gaze settled on Gajeel, and the only subject more frightening and unstable than the iron dragon had ever been: Laxus.

Gajeel's gradual signs of weakness brought no solace for the scientist, and he could only watch uselessly as both he and the lightning dragon approached Jose. Gajeel threw a glance to Sting, and with the wordless exchange, his white light disappeared. All that remained was the occasional flash of gold off Laxus.

Before Jose realized what was happening, something cold wrapped around his neck, lifting him off the ground. The man choked out pitiful sounds of protest, clawing uselessly at the iron forearm, and in the flashes of gold he saw the face of the iron beast mere inches from his. "We are going to destroy all of it," Gajeel growled, barely audible. "The data, the papers, and you with it. _No one will remember you, or your work._ " Jose choked, trying to speak, but the grip was too tight. "I could snap your neck, or crush your skull," he grasped the top of the scientists head with his free hand and squeezed painfully, claws digging into his scalp. He squeezed tight enough for it to feel the bone might break, but not quite. "But that's all too quick. For all ya did to her… for even fucking touching her. For takin' her away from me, for hurting her, scaring her, using her… I could, I should rip out your own guts and _strangle_ ya with 'em." As quickly as he had befallen the scientist, Gajeel suddenly let go and dropped the man to the ground, backing away. "But you're right," he finally added, breathing heavily, his breaths uneven, "Levy wouldn't want _me_ to."

"Five minutes…" Laxus reminded, and Gajeel nodded. Electricity buzzed in their ears, as Laxus moved forward to take Gajeel's place. "Good thing… there's a line," Laxus said threateningly. Bright golden light filled the room, illuminating the scarred, chiseled face that bore _years_ of torment and abuse. Loosening his hold on his power, electricity flew off of him in waves and the structure felt the effects. The lights in the ceiling came to life again, growing brighter and brighter until each bulb shattered one after the other, raining down glass upon the scientist who tried futilely to scoot away from the assailant. Another boom nearby in the building inched Gajeel anxiously back towards the exit, but he needed to see this. He needed to know it was done. He could not question for one more day that it was over.

"Remember the conditioning…?" Laxus growled, his voice like thunder. "Every time you had them dose us? Every time you nearly killed us?" Another heavy step in advance brought a terrified jump from Jose. "How long you kept me in the basement… wired up, powering _your_ work. Locked away like a fucking _generator?!_ " he finally roared, a bolt of lightning cracking the floor right in front of Jose.

He scooted away as best as he could and looked pleadingly to the twins, his final hope for any semblance of their conditioning to save him. Instead, the two watched silently with narrowed eyes, remaining close to one another, using each other to stay focused on their freedom. In his attempts to keep moving away from what threatened his life, he was finally stopped when a heavy foot fell onto his shoulder. Shuddering, Jose turned his head to look out of the corner of his eye to Cobra.

"Remember the people you used to control us? The people you killed even after _promising_ us they would be safe? If we only obeyed?" Erik hissed, a grimace on his face speaking of his own loss, "You couldn't resist trying to make her like me, could you?" his tone dropped, miasma beginning to seep from his palms. "This is for Kinana."

Another pulse of the electricity signaled the end of the game. Gajeel watched the scream rise, the view of the devil obstructed by the two subjects and the flash of Laxus's lightning. The smell that came next, of rust and iron and char, was unmistakable. And it was the last thing he needed before he could leave, savoring every agonized scream that filled the halls after until they went utterly silent.

* * *

Smoke had started to fill the halls, and each distant blast made it harder for her to stay on her feet. The weakness was very real by this point, and she had tried to pull on her bandages to keep them tight on her wound. It helped a little, but not enough to make a difference by now. She'd lost too much, and it would take her soon.

Still, Levy kept close to the wall, using it as her guide in the dark. She had found nothing, and no one. And since hearing Gajeel's voice, there had been what seemed to be electricity in the air, even lighting up the halls again briefly before the lamps all blew out permanently. All it did was worsen her dread, and her urgency to find a way out, to find anything.

The sense of being trapped worsened with each minute, and as the smoke began to burn her throat, she could feel her resolve beginning to waver. _No, I need to find him. I need to know he's alright,_ Levy thought, pushing herself onwards. As she progressed, and turned several corners, she started to see a light source grow in the halls.

She squinted, and after turning one more corner she could actually see around, she stopped short. A massive, burnt hole had been blasted up through the hallway floor and directly through every floor above. Had Levy come around the corner any faster she might have gone straight in, nd the billow of smoke was enough to force her arm over her mouth and nose. The diameter alone was wide enough that it spread into the adjacent rooms the walls would have otherwise concealed. Through the opened ceiling she could see the floor above them, and ultimately the source of her light: open air. The red-black smoke funneled up, putting a damper on the skylight, but there was still enough that she could see better than before.

A billow of smoke suddenly grew from below, heat pushing her back just slightly. She shut her eyes and kept her arm over her face, trying to keep out the acrid smoke, but the coughs wracked her regardless. The pain followed, and she wavered on her feet.

Levy couldn't say what prompted her to look up again, but across the opening, on the other side of the hall, she could barely see something through the smoke. Were it not toxic, she would have gasped. Instead her eyes widened and fixed on the silhouette of a shadowed creature hunched forward, focused on her. Red eyes glowed like coals through the smoke, and tendrils of black started to creep through the smoke and around the hole in the floor.

Levy didn't know what else the lab had conjured up, what other subjects had been released, but the creature she could see through the smoke was nothing but intimidating. She shook, a wave of fear washing over her that subsequently brought enough of a sway to her stance that she lost her balance. At the edge of her senses she heard an indecipherable shout rise above the chaos, but her eyes met only with the empty space where the ground had once been, opening up to swallow her.

The blunette had only just begun to feel gravity pull her in when a dark blur appeared in her line of sight and she was pulled back in the other direction. Instinctively, and with nearly all she had left, she pushed sharply against whatever it was to try and save herself. Her quick reaction threw the other being off just enough that she broke free, but fell backwards against the wall of the corridor. She couldn't bite back the cry of pain, and with tears starting to burn in her eyes, she weakly scooted away down the wall, but could barely manage more than a few inches of escape.

She watched the shadow of the creature loom over her for a moment, claws held out to its sides, and knew all she could do was wait for the end. She stood no chance against whatever else had been born within this lab if Jose still had control over them. She had done all her body could manage, and it still hadn't been enough. Levy choked on a sob, and only one thought crossed her mind: "I'm sorry Gajeel…"

Levy shut her eyes tight and waited, but the pain never came. Instead, she could sense the figure get closer, and finally heard a soft thud on the ground in front of her. She cracked open an eye just in time to see him on his knees before she was suddenly drawn into something solid. Whoever it was did it so carefully, despite the secure hold, that it did not aggravate her shoulder.

The woman inhaled quickly in surprise, and smelled the strong scent of metal mixed with the smoke. Iron to be precise.

That was all it took for realization to hit her with the force of a train. The welling of emotions and the burning of tears all rushed forth at once and she felt herself buckle. "Ga-jeel…!" she coughed out, pressing her face into his chest. _It's him, it's him… I found him!_

Over the ambient noise, Levy could hear him mumbling something to himself, and she felt him bury his face into her hair and breathe deep before he exhaled a long and shaky breath. After a moment, she could make out his words.

"You're alive, you're alive, you're alive…" Over and over, making sure it was real. That she was real, and not a fever dream born of desperation. Gajeel drilled each syllable into his head, lest he or the beast inside him forget for a second what mattered the most. Jose had not won. No, today had completely bested everything that evil man stood for.

Still, the smell of her blood assaulted his senses, and reluctantly he held her back to look at her. The source of her bleeding was obvious and the sight made him sick. She looked terrible: pale save the darkness around her eyes, weak, and cheeks stained with the tear lines drawn through a layer of soot.

Levy also had the chance to look him over, understanding now why she didn't recognize him. He had shifted into the iron form she would have otherwise known, but his eyes were like a dark night with a blood moon. The shadows rippled across his hide enough to distort his silhouette, and his hair billowed around him as though alive. The hands grasping her arms wielded worse claws than she had seen before, and looked so very different from the hands that had touched her in the past. Shakily, she lifted a hand towards his face, but hesitated. "Y-you're…" She couldn't find the words she needed, stunned nearly to silence.

Immediately he faltered, guilt taking over his face. He had frightened her. No, that wasn't the right word: she was completely terrified. She was afraid of him and he had seen it through the smoke before she had begun to fall. It was a look on her face that brought back the worst in him, that reminded him that he was still a monster, and even worse now than he had been before. All shadows, fangs, claws, and an animal's demeanor to make him whole. She had started to look at him like that in her kitchen, when she thought he might have been a murderer. For all he knew she still thought that. He had failed her in every way, how could she possibly have improved her opinion of him?

The thoughts were written plainly on his face, and Levy couldn't take it. She didn't know how many more chances they had, or what would happen next. She didn't know what state she would be in if they got out, she didn't even know how much longer she would be conscious, and she didn't know if she would even wake back up again. The seconds ticked awake and Levy had no idea many she had left.

"I love you," the blunette blurted, urgently, terrified of losing her chance. "And I am not afraid of you."

Immediately, like she had wiped him clean, the shadows fell away from him and his black mane dropped to drape over his shoulders once again. His body remained like iron, but his face finally looked more like himself. Although, he looked like someone had thrown ice water directly in his face with the shock so evident on his features.

Gajeel was stunned. The words, clear and unambiguous, blunt and straightforward, were unmistakable. He couldn't seek another meaning, he couldn't say he had heard her wrong. Levy had very clearly, very firmly, just told him she loved him. That ethereal, beautiful, wonderful creature, even in her state, had told him she loved him. And maybe she only said it because she thought she was dying, but she still said it to him.

 _Him_. Of all the people in the world she could have chosen to say that to, she said it to _him._ Gajeel Redfox. The monster in the dark, the dragon in the cave, the beast through the smoke. He was none of those things to her and she loved him.

His body moved on its own as he eased forward on his knees, his hands released her arms and he took hold of her face. He remembered the night in her kitchen, when he had almost done this once before. Before everything had gone so wrong, gotten so confused. Gajeel paused to study her dirty face to try and remember what she had looked like in her house before this. He allowed himself to feel the full effects of his relief that he had found her, how he had thought she was lost to him forever. She had been dead to him, he thought he had watched her die in front of him, and here she was again. Alive, warm.

The words caught in his throat, but he didn't need them. Without a second more of hesitation, he closed the space between them and pressed his lips against hers. Levy's hand balled up in the front of his tattered shirt, clinging to him like a lifeline. He could feel every part of him, every dark, torn piece of the man he was, become new. It didn't matter that the world was crumbling around them. Each movement of his lips on hers brought a rush and a heat to his chest that was completely unfamiliar, but wholly welcome. He wouldn't question himself, he wouldn't question any part of it. She loved him, and dear _god_ he loved her. Unequivocally. Completely and consumingly, he was in love with her. He had been from the moment she took his face in her hands and asked him to trust her, and he was finally allowing that to be true. Gajeel had no fight left in him to deny that truth, that he had fallen so instantly in love with his savior. It may have started as fierce dependency, but how quickly it had changed into something else.

After seconds that felt like hours, he felt her push against him and her grip suddenly dropped from his shirt. His eyes snapped open at the change in her breathing just in time to feel her falling from him, completely limp. Immediately his arms went around her waist, trying to prop her up and hold her to him.

"Levy!" Gajeel pleaded, but there was no response. "No way, Shrimp! You can't pull this shit now, not after all this!" he shouted, scooping her up as he rose to his feet. Gajeel looked down to the fragile creature he carried in his arms, her eyes shut as exhaustion and bloodloss finally tightened their hold on her. But, she was breathing, that was all that mattered. He would not lose her.

Gajeel raised his gaze to the hole in the ceiling, urgent determination taking over his features.

* * *

Outside was chaos, a mixture of both Hargeon officers and the handful of his own that had come to the site. The entire group worked furiously to control the crowds, as well as receive panicked staff as they exited the building. Every explosion from within and accompanying blast of heat forced them farther and farther back from the facility, and the smoke had begun to obscure much of their view of the facility.

Entering Jupiter Technology was out of the question, as even the trained firemen deemed it too dangerous to enter, and chose instead to manage the destruction as best they could from outside.

Waiting, searching every face that managed to find their way outside was agonizing for the chief. He had never in his life felt so useless, and knowing that there were still innocent people inside was torture. Every time someone else appeared and was ushered away to be treated and questioned, he felt his stomach sink more and more. Every one of these people were lab personnel. Levy was nowhere to be seen, and neither were any other potentially innocent individuals.

Until finally a different silhouette appeared from the smoke, steadily marching forward with labored steps. This one wasn't alone.

A sea breeze brushed the smoke from their view, and a flash of blue sent Igneel's heart into overtime. "Levy!" he bellowed, immediately rushing towards the two despite protests from other officers, hand resting instinctively on the gun at his belt. He knew for a fact that was her, but unusual sight of the iron-colored 'man' carrying her gave him pause.

He slid to a halt and unclipped the holster holding his weapon, threatening to pull it from his side. _What is he?!_ he thought. "Hand over the girl and put your hands in the air!" Igneel ordered, his tone absolute and cutting clear through the sounds of chaos.

The man carrying her slowly lifted his gaze from his cargo, scanning the uniform before meeting the eyes of the chief. _The police…_ he thought weakly.

Slowly, the iron scales began to recede from his skin, leaving Igneel to only watch in distracted awe for several moments. The man of iron, slowly, became just a man. Black char stained his form, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. But even with this, Igneel suddenly recognized that face. He had seen it many times before in the case files, and that mug and those piercings were unforgettable. _Gajeel Redfox_. One of the subjects, one of the people who had gone missing all those years ago was there in front of him. But still, he had a hold on a very unconscious Levy, and he couldn't be sure if this man was responsible for her state or a threat to anyone else.

"I said hand her over!" Igneel finally caught back up to himself, and ordered for the final time. He was surprised to find an answer in the form of a small, but relieved smile on Gajeel's face.

Gajeel's knees finally buckled and he fell to the ground, but his secure grip on Levy did not waver. "Take her…. she's hurt," he finally said with a hoarse voice, bringing a look of surprise to the chief's face. Finally Igneel saw the red staining her shoulder, and understood. He released his hold on his weapon and immediately rushed to Gajeel, who carefully held the girl out to him. "Help her," he pleaded weakly.

"You both need medical attention," Igneel pointed out, taking Levy as carefully as he could to hold her in the same manner. "Come on, we need to get you both looked at."

Astonishingly, Gajeel shook his head, and staggered back up to his feet with a gargled cough. "The others," he finally said, focusing on Levy. She was outside, she was safe. The nightmare was over for her. "They're still inside and I…" he trailed off, seeing the realization and immediate defiance appearing on Igneel's face. Gajeel couldn't say another word more, or he would stop him. Gritting his teeth, he fought through the fatigue and turned to trek back into the destruction.

He could hear the chief shouting at his back, but with Levy in his arms, he couldn't do anything to stop Gajeel from disappearing back inside.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** These chapters are the ones that are getting easier for me, because there was _so much_ to change. I think this one grew by about 3 pages with edits and additions, fixing the dialogue and pacing and emotional weight so. I hope all you long time readers can tell, and that you enjoy!

* * *

 _Levy could feel her lips moving, trying to speak. There was a moment, a period of mutters and mumbles and incoherent whispers before she finally understood it was her own voice, struggling for footing. "Where is he?" It felt detached, like a whisper in the back of her head. That was the first and only thing she thought of. Him._

 _There was a muttered response, and she felt a small pressure on her face and the earth underneath her move. "Where is he?" her voice cut a little more clearly through the haze. It was only then that she realized how rough, shredded her tone was._

 _Her hands reached for her face, feeling something foreign, and started to pull at it. "No, miss." That voice wasn't hers, that much she knew. Then someone moved her hands and reapplied to the gentle pressure around her mouth. "You need it."_

" _Get it off," Levy finally coughed, feeling just an echo of the searing pain down her windpipe. She tried to open her eyes, but her vision was blurred and they burned in protest when exposed to the air. "Get it o-off of me, I need—I need Gajeel." The blunette continued to struggle, until she felt a grip on her wrists holding her down. Panic started to well in her chest, unsure of what was happening, but she hadn't the strength to fight. Her body felt heavy, and the longer she was awake, the more she felt a continuous pain in her shoulder. Pain in her throat, in her head, in her chest._

 _She gave up, suddenly, realizing that the pain had started to get worse. Her thoughts were only barely catching up to her, but she still couldn't decipher where she was. The last she remembered, she was inside, with Gajeel. And now she was in another vehicle, restrained, and he was nowhere to be found. The panic ebbed away as quickly as it rose, her whole world spinning on its head and she felt her back arch._

 _The last thing she remembered was someone she didn't recognize shouting next to her, "She's got decreased breath sounds! I need a trach!"_

* * *

"Please state your full name." The stone-faced officer, speaking in an even tone, broke the silence without lifting his gaze from his papers.

The girl shook briefly at his voice, loud in the small space. He didn't seem to care much that he had started her. Or rather, he didn't notice, because he wouldn't take his eyes off his papers. With a steadying breath, Levy licked her lips, swallowing painfully, and replied softly, "Levy McGarden."

Nearly a full 48 hours had passed since the incident in Hargeon. Levy's memory of the last several hours was patchy, and filled with periods of black, but she knew what they had had to do with her and she was grateful to not remember any of it. She went downhill fast before making it to the first hospital, a combination of the bloodloss and how much smoke she had ended up inhaling. Her airway had nearly swollen shut from the soot before she was intubated, and she was out like that for nearly a day and a half before they could remove it.

The man in front of her, before introducing himself and moving into his brief investigation, had explained that she was stabilized first in Hargeon. They transferred her back to Magnolia when they found her to be a missing person, not a subject, and waited until she was strong enough for questioning.

"And can you tell me, as concisely as possible, how you came to be at Jupiter Technologies?" Levy winced, but stoic as ever, he was poised with his pen. He barely even made eye contact with her and the procedural nature of it left a sour taste in her mouth.

"I was taken, ah," she paused, swallowing, "a little over a week ago I think. I don't know, it was hard to tell how long it's been," she answered.

"Against your will? And if so by whom?"

"Yes," Levy answered, her tone sharp regardless of the hoarseness in her voice. "By its founder, Dr. Jose Porla." She paused, averting her gaze, and the silence was weighted.

"No one else?" He wasn't dense; of course he wasn't. This was his job. He pushed for more information nearly right away.

"One of the subjects," she whispered, looking to her lap, trying not to flex her freshly cleaned and stitched shoulder. Thank heavens for morphine. "But he was also acting against his will," Levy replied quickly, edging in a defense for the brainwashed subject that had unwillingly assisted him. "The subjects had been forced to do many things in fear of harm to themselves or their loved ones."

"His name?"

Levy faltered, feeling pain twist in her chest. Should she tell the officer his name? Should she protect him? "He didn't introduce himself…" she said dryly, feigning a bitter smile, "my memory of that day is hazy." Lie. Why did she lie?

Because he wouldn't possibly understand what those men had gone through. How little choice they really had in any part of their lives. She could tell him what Rogue did that day, and that's all that officer would hear. He wouldn't hear or understand that everything he did was under threat against his brother's safety, and that if he didn't follow Jose's orders unspeakable things would await them both.

He scribbled something down, furrowing his brow slightly. And then, "How did you come about your injuries?"

Well, so much for defending him. That could be a damning answer, and she needed to give it carefully. "There was a… fight," she paused, knitting her brows together, "when Dr. Porla tried to take us, we-Gajeel and I-tried to escape. He forced the subject to come after us. And I got in the middle to try and stop it."

"Gajeel Redfox was another one of the subjects, correct?"

Levy felt ice spread through her veins, and what little color she had drained from her face. His tone was impossible to read and gave little away as for where the questioning was going. They couldn't possibly place any fault on Gajeel, could they? She was certain some of the staff from the lab had to have told police that Gajeel was the one who destroyed everything, but he had no choice. It was an act of desperation, it was their only way to escape. After several heavy moments, she had to answer or her silence would me more damning than anything she could say, "Yes. He was taken when I was."

"I see."

Silence again. Suffocating silence. He scratched away at his papers, flipping through the stack, while scowling every now and then. Levy shifted impatiently, thankful for the comfortable hospital bed and the _very_ strong painkillers that left her with far more comfort than she had at Jupiter's infirmary. The pleasant haze provided by the morphine, however, was still not quite enough to silence her concerns.

"Excuse me, but... where are the others? And when can I go home? Or have visitors?" she coughed after it, holding a hand over her mouth. It was a lot to say all at once, and she still was incredibly sore after it all. But still, she pushed through it, there was more she needed to say.

"The subjects are being held and questioned in Hargeon. The doctor wanted to observe you for another day and you can have visitors at that time. Is there family you would like us to contact?" he tried to push some compassion into his tone, that was clear from his words, but the rehearsed script and semi-robotic tone told her that this was just protocol and she was a task on a list that needed to be crossed off.

"No family. I have a friend, Lucy Heartfilia, who is my emergency contact." Levy replied, seeing him shift to put away his papers and mark the end of the brief session. "Wait, sir, please. Why are the others still in Hargeon and what is going to happen to them? Do you know what has happened to Gajeel? Or a boy named Rogue?"

"I cannot divulge that, miss. They are connected to damages within the city and must be questioned in that county. I'm sorry."

She wasn't having it. " _Please_ , can't you give me any more than that? What's going to happen to them? How did I get out? Are they all still alive? Anything," the blunette pleaded, her voice cracking as water began to well in her big, brown eyes. The officer wavered, finally making eye contact with her for the first time in the whole session. "At least let me speak to Igneel if you can't tell me anything. He is my friend's father, I know him personally. _Please._ "

The officer released a heavy sigh, expressing clear tension in his shoulders. Levy realized then how stressful the day must have been for the police as well, dealing with a situation of this magnitude. However, the break in his stony expression told her that name dropping was the best thing she could have done. "As of my last update from the team there, they're alive. The one that brought you outside—Gajeel I believe—went back into the wreckage, and came out again with the remaining subjects and convinced the receiving line to lower their weapons. He was in severe need of medical attention like the rest of them but wouldn't let anyone take him until he was sure the others were taken for treatment first. They are being questioned and treated there before making further arrangements. That's all I can tell you, I will have the nurses contact Miss Heartfilia for you." With that, he was out the door before she could accost him with any more questions. He'd already given her more than he was allowed and he had to flee before she begged for more.

She sat there in the wake of his exit and found air a little harder to come by. It was him; Gajeel got them out, he actually got them out. Starting with her. But he had paid for it badly enough that a sufficient update was to say "they're alive."

Her stomach turned; she had some answer but now even more questions. 'Last he heard' they were still alive, which meant something could have changed between then and now. It meant that it was entirely possible they could still _die_. How hurt was he? When would she be able to contact him at all?

Like someone had thrown ice water in her face, she realized that she didn't actually know, in any certainty, if she would ever see him again. That last time could be the _last time._

There was no guarantee that they would be allowed back into the town. What place could be found for them in society after all they had been through? None of them had families or homes to fall back on, and they weren't even human anymore. Would they be held accountable for what Jose had done?

* * *

"Not too hard, not too—oof!" Levy winced when the sobbing blonde threw herself onto her, latching on as though she might disappear again at any second. The nurse had brought her out in a wheelchair into the lobby the next day to meet her waiting friends and go home, finally.

"I was _so_ _worried,_ Lev! Where do you get off getting involved in some conspiracy crap out of a science fiction movie and making me think you're _dead?!_ " The blonde sobbed, barely taking a breath to hysterically scold her friend. Natsu must have gotten the whole story from Igneel, and of course given it to her.

"I'm sorry Lucy but you're hurting me…!" the blunette coughed, throwing her gaze to Natsu standing just behind her. " _Help?_ " she pleased hoarsely.

Natsu laughed dryly, trying to conceal his own overwhelming relief, and grabbed Lucy by the shoulders to pull her back. "Let's not kill her, Luce," he warned, trying to remain even-toned around the worked-up blonde. "We only just got her back."

Lucy finally released the struggling blunette, and turned angry, watery eyes to the rose-haired boy. "Sorry if I can't be a little more composed at a _time like this_ , but in case you missed it, our friend almost died! Disappeared into a horror movie!" she snapped, prickling.

"I'm home, Lucy," Levy offered weakly, the dark circles under her eyes telling of the exhaustion that had yet to release its hold on her. "Almost, anyway. Could we please just go? I miss my bed, and the doctor wants me to rest." She had strict orders to stay in bed as much as possible, so as not to strain her damaged shoulder or her weak lungs. Her lungs they'd gotten to soon enough to treat, but her shoulder had been treated less kindly in her time at Jupiter. With the strain, they told her it was in the realm of possibility that she might not get full range of motion back. It was a detail she tried not to linger on.

The two of them agreed quickly, looking abashed. Still, Natsu spoke up carefully. " _Everyone_ has been asking for you, we've all been worried sick."

What was she supposed to say to that? "I know." It was all she could think of eyes fixed on her lap.

"I didn't mean," Natsu started, wheeling her chair through the lobby, "I just meant, you have people. Who care. You're not alone. I don't know what… happened there but, we are here."

She smiled weakly, unable to take her burning eyes from her lap. Again, she said, "I know." Somehow weaker than before, but genuine nonetheless. Levy's shoulders started to shake, and it didn't go unnoticed.

Memories of that halloween party suddenly flooded her thoughts. The bonfire, everyone in costume, her and Lucy and the girls nursing their drinks while the boys shouted at each other raucously. And who she found back in her living room that night… Levy forced herself to bite back a sob.

Lucy wanted to ask her what was wrong, to find out what had just changed, and she laid a hand on her friend's shoulder before realizing she couldn't ask. Not now, not so soon. Helplessly, she looked to Natsu, but he had nothing to offer her but a clueless shrug.

Levy shook her head suddenly, trying to clear her thoughts, and lifted her gaze. She looked at Lucy's face, wrought with concern, and the words were clear on her own. _Not yet. I will tell you, but not yet._ Levy counted her blessings for her best friend's understanding of her, because the blonde merely nodded and looked ahead. No real words necessary.

Trying desperately to think of something else, she spoke up again, turning her head to look up. "Natsu." He leaned forward over her shoulder immediately, ready to give her whatever she wanted, "Have you heard anything from your dad? Is he back yet?"

The boy's face fell, and he shook his head apologetically as he leaned back. "No. I've tried to get updates from him when I can, but he's pretty swamped there. All he's said is they are still working on getting information and figuring out what to do next." Natsu's tone told of his own concerns for his father, and Levy felt comforted in the fact that she was not the only one wrought with unease. "I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything new though," he added, as some consolation, while opening the door to the front seat of his car.

Levy nodded her thanks, and with their help hauled herself into the seat. She could feel the effects of her medications and the stress she had been through the second she tried to stand, and happily fell into the seat of the car. _Almost home…_ she thought, unsure just how eager she was to return to an empty home where her thoughts would only consume her. It was some comfort to know that Lucy would undoubtedly spend the night, but the blonde could not offer her the answers or peace that Levy needed most now.

When they did finally reach her home, Levy's eyes moved to the scratches and scuffs on her front door. Seeming to follow her gaze, Lucy spoke up. "We tried to clean up a little, after." It was a small offering, but uneasy. It told only of her own turmoil, having to find the scene in the way that she did. "I found the kibble you must have been feeding that cat too." _Lily._ The name rang through her like a bell, and she felt her stomach drop. She'd forgotten about him entirely, and immediately felt the guilt for having left him alone for so long. Even if he was fully capable of caring for himself. "I saw him a couple of times, but he only seemed to want to eat the food I left out, and then he would go outside for the day."

The blunette could think of nothing to say as her friend opened the door for her and she stepped inside of the very cold house. Her gaze was drawn to the hallway table, askew in only a way that she would notice. The items that had previously been on top of it were rearranged, with a ceramic bowl, and her flower vase, absent. _Of course,_ she thought, remembering with a cold chill how violently she had turned it over behind her. The whole scene, in warp speed, played through her head. Every detail of that day all at once slammed into her and she felt her breath stolen out of her chest.

In an instant, Lucy was at her side, taking her arm. As if she could tell what was happening in her head; knew the storm that flew through Levy and threatened to bring her knees right there in the foyer. Natsu followed suit on her other side, and with them supporting her, her thoughts started to quiet. Levy took a breath and focused the best she could on the two of them. She didn't need to say anything; they could read the 'thank you' in her silence.

"Your room, right?" Natsu asked, and Levy paused for a moment. She looked to the hall, the one she vividly remembered running down, and shook her head.

"Actually, I'd rather be in my parent's room." She could see Natsu and Lucy exchange glances, having not heard her utter those two words in, years perhaps. But they were not going to ask her why. It was appreciated, because Levy didn't feel she would be able to articulate the reason if she tried. In her heart Levy knew why, but she didn't have words to explain how she couldn't stomach being in her own room again. How she probably couldn't be for some time. To explain that even though the master bedroom had been empty for years, it was still comforting as her _parent's_ room. And that was just where she needed to go.

 _And then what?_ The thought stopped her in the doorway to the bedroom. Where did she go from here? She had been so violently, and abruptly plucked from this world and thrown into another. She had been kidnapped, imprisoned, terrorized, and hurt. And as suddenly as that all had happened, now she was back in her familiar space. Like it had all been a bad dream.

Levy had expected to feel at least a little relief, and some kind of ease. But in every way, she felt like she didn't belong back here yet. She had seen too much, and experienced too much to just jump right back in. Her thoughts circled back around, over and over, to her dragon. It stoked a continuous ache in her chest, and she half expected to see him there in her living room, waiting for her. But the house was empty, and now was the time to act like she was trying to move forward, as she moved into the room and let them help her into the soft bed.

If she had to describe what this all felt like, it was most like an out of body experience, and she was grateful for the intermittent throb in her shoulder to remind her that she was actually here, alive and awake. But there was no feeling of belonging here; there was no feeling of belonging anywhere. Not just because she had lost Gajeel; no, this was so much more than that. Jose, in that short time, had taken so much from her that she balked at the thought that Gajeel, or any of them, had anything left to give.

Even with all that, falling asleep in a bed that she used to seek out as a little girl for comfort provided her with some small peace. Enough to quiet her thoughts for several hours, along with the dutiful presence of her best friend in that bed next to her as sleep finally took her.

* * *

Every day that passed after was as quiet as the first, with winter in full swing and Levy confined to the house to heal. Several of their friends came over for short visits, just to bring flowers or food and some words of support. She did her best to keep them short because as much as she appreciated all of it, it was still simply too much at once. Levy only had so much energy for it, but she appreciated it all the same. She just wasn't quite ready for them to see just how hurt she was, or to know just how much she had gone through. They knew what the news put out, but not the terrifying details. Not about Gajeel. That was a weight she wasn't ready to give to anyone else.

The days did slowly start to get easier, if only a little. Her shoulder got better bit by bit, she coughed less, and felt like she could get around the house a little more. After realizing she was home again, Lily settled himself completely in her house during this time, rarely going outside to hunt, or whatever he did out there. Levy told herself it was because of the cold outside and the constant food she provided him with, but she couldn't help feeling that the scarred little tomcat missed the dragon as much as she did and waited for him to return.

The first update came two weeks later. Natsu had rushed over as soon as he was out of work, finding Lucy there as well. The blonde had been exclusively staying with Levy since her return, leaving only for work.

"It's the commissioner's grandson," he blurted s he burst through the door, out of breath.

Levy, bundled on the couch, had set aside her book. "Wait, Makarov's?" she echoed, confused what he had to do with anything. Levy knew little of the situation with Makarov's family as it was understandably a private issue. From what Natsu had told her in the past, the commissioner's son, Ivan, left some time ago and had excommunicated himself, leaving the grandson behind. Makarov raised the boy himself like a son, but eventually he left as well under bad terms. Natsu had told her there was some kind of argument, and the boy kept getting into trouble with the police before Makarov told him to leave.

"Yes," Natsu breathed, "Laxus. He was one of the guys they've been questioning in Hargeon."

Levy's eyes widened in shock, but Lucy beat her to asking, "How?"

Natsu shook his head, "I don't have all the details, there's only so much pops can tell me. But apparently he's been there almost as long as you said Gajeel was, longer maybe. That's where he went when Makarov kicked him out and he just thought Laxus had cut him off like Ivan did, so he was never connected to the disappearances back then."

"Where is he now?" Levy pushed, hoping it would lead to information about the other subjects…one in particular.

"He's still in Hargeon but Makarov left this morning after he got the call. But, from what my dad tells me this changes everything. He's the first one that has had any connections and what a hell of a connection," Natsu huffed, tilting his head, "They're talking about trying to start some kind of a program, to readjust him. They might do it for the others too."

That was hope. It was more than hope. It meant that they might come home; that they intended to try and let them. And they wouldn't be abandoned. Those men had been through literal hell; there was no way they could just be thrown back into society. She was having a hard enough time having been there over a week, she couldn't imagine it after _years._ "Do they have a place in mind? For them to come back to here?"

"Sort of, they're still figuring it out," Natsu replied, "my dad mentioned setting up housing in the Fairy Hills apartment complex and trying get some kind of advanced care for them. That's all I know, he couldn't talk long." His face was apologetic, he knew what Levy was looking for and he just didn't have that to give to her.

"How's Makarov?" Lucy piped in, already seeing the disappointment build and desperately trying to distract her.

"First time I've ever seen the old man cry," Natsu answered with a small smile. "I was there when he got the call."

The information was something, and it provided a little bit of hope. She opened her mouth to ask the question she was dying to ask, but Natsu already knew what she was going to say.

"He's still not awake. But he's alive. Pops wanted me to tell you that much, he knows he's important to you."

Levy nodded a half-hearted thank you to Natsu, and turned her gaze to the floor. Again, it was something. But it was still not what she was hoping for. Levy refused, though, to ever let go of that hope.

Natsu came by periodically as time went on to give her more updates as he got them from Igneel, and most of them consisted of updates on their conditions. The hardest part was getting them to participate in the questionings. Trying to work around the conditioning, to speak to them as people and not as brainwashed tools, was an obstacle. The entire investigation was a process of gaining their trust, and ultimately their cooperation in burying Jupiter Technologies, and associates, once and for all. The more information they got, the more she realized Gajeel had been the one in the worst condition of all of them. She realized that "not awake yet" meant keeping him in a medically induced coma to try and heal. Natsu, of course, had no details as to what exactly was wrong with him. Just: awake or not. That was all she got.

Until, news started to come in about their arrivals back into Magnolia, and every hope she had was renewed with gusto. Laxus was, unsurprisingly, the first to come back, with Makarov. Shortly after, Natsu told her someone named "Erik" arrived, with Sting and Rogue arriving together about a week after. Both he and Lucy had been a mixture of concerned, and intrigued that she already knew who all these people were.

Natsu explained that they had gone ahead with setting them up in Fairy Hills, and had already lined up and employed Magnolia's best psychiatric specialists, already dealing with them in Hargeon, to see to their care: Doctors Mira Jane and Lisanna Strauss. The two doctors had been an integral part of their recoveries in the hospital, and would be just as involved with them back here in Magnolia.

Each time, she would look to Natsu, and wouldn't have to ask. He knew what she wanted and each time he gave her the same look of pity. She thought she would have started to take the disappointment better, but it was a stab in the chest each time. What was worse, she started to feel guilty for pestering him like this, placing the burden on him to either make or break her day.

"There's nothing new, Lev." He would say most of the time. Or the worst, "He's still not awake." Natsu did tell her that only one of the doctors was here, with the other still in Hargeon waiting for the final subject to awake. It was a paltry encouragement, but she told herself it meant that they expected he might still wake up.

Still, she found herself staring out the double glass doors in her parent's room into the snowy yard. Looking for something she knew wouldn't be there. It all became just so suffocating that she knew she needed to drag herself out of it. She needed to sleep, to stop holding her breath, and to try and get some normalcy back into her life. Levy refused to let herself treat this like a death, she refused to go back into the pit she created after losing her parents. Because it was all starting to feel terrifyingly familiar.

That path back to her life started with Levy _insisting_ that Lucy go home for once, and spend some time in or own space, or at least with Natsu. The latter seemed to be more convincing for the blonde, as apparently she had sought a great deal of comfort from him during Levy's absence and gotten significantly closer with him. At least something good came out of all this, she told herself.

That night was the first she'd spent alone since she got back home, and strangely enough she was happier for the solitude than she expected, being able to just candidly feel the things she was feeling. The quiet, though not ideal, allowed her to immerse fully in thoughts of him. This wasn't a death, and she would not let this world forget him. Even if she was the only one to keep him 'alive.'

This was the first time she found herself thinking of the last thing she remembered in the lab. The memory felt so distant and in many ways it was, but she refused to let it fade away. Like grasping for smoke, she tried to keep replaying the last thing she remembered, and subconsciously her hand wandered to her lips. The final moments in there were hazy, and she found herself wondering if she hallucinated it in her weakness. But at her core Levy knew that was real, there was no denying it.

Sometimes when she closed her eyes she could see him, looking at her with eyes of admiration. "Gajeel…" Levy started to say his name, to herself, when she thought of him. It felt the most like keeping him alive, like keeping him present. And the girl would take whatever she could to keep the faith.

* * *

 _Urgh, fuck, that hurts. What the hell hurts so bad..._ Red eyes opened slowly, blinking painfully into the light. Everything was a blur, regardless of where he looked, and every time he blinked it seemed like the pain increased.

"Get the doctor and notify the chief, he's waking up!" A voice, suddenly in the room. he couldn't tell from where, but he could tell he wasn't alone. He didn't know why but adrenaline shot through him, and to his side he could hear a machine start to beep erratically.

He squinted and turned his head, and tried to open his mouth to speak before he realized, quite suddenly and painfully, that he had something in his mouth. Now his eyes snapped wide open, and his hands flew for his face. _What the FUCK?_ he thought in an absolute panic, as the sensation of _choking_ took him over.

No sooner had he grabbed for the tube, did he suddenly feel someone hold down both his arms; one person on each side. Gajeel instantly felt feral rage build up in him, choosing fight over flight, but his body would not follow. He wanted to thrash, throw the unknown assailants off of him, but the strength wasn't there, like something had drained it completely. He could barely move his arms enough to make it hard for them. He could see someone in white hovering over him and then felt a strange sensation in his throat. Coughs and a choking reflex wracked him as the tube was pulled slowly from his mouth, and everyone backed off of him.

As soon as he was free, he let out a hoarse, crackling growl in between gasps for air, warning people off of him so he had a chance to get his bearings. "The hell are you people doin' to me?" He shook again with another coughing fit, his voice raw and painfully dry from lack of use. He swept his finally focused eyes around the unfamiliar room accusingly, realizing he was definitely not alone. In fact, several people were in the room with him, not one of which he recognized. Many in white coats, and the sight of that twisted his stomach, but he wasn't immediately sure why. "Where am I?" he demanded. His gaze landed on the one woman in the room who had started to approach carefully.

She lifted her hands in a sign of peace, trying to smile appeasingly at him. "Calm down. It can be a little unnerving coming out of the sedation; you've been under for a while and are going to be in some discomfort. Give it a second, breathe. My name is Mira-"

"Ya deaf?" he spat harshly, his voice cracking. "I asked a question."

The silver-haired woman started to reply, but was cut off, again, by another voice.

"Calm _down_ , she said." Another voice, a lot more commanding than the even-toned doctor in front of him, drew his attention. The fiery red-head entered the room, looking over the battered, belligerent man. "You've been out for a long time, take it easy or you'll make it worse."

The black-haired man winced, swallowing hard and feeling the soreness radiate down his neck and into his chest. "And who are ya supposed to be?" he growled, before shaking his head, "Don't care. I'll ask _you_ since that one over there," an accusing look at the woman, "can't be bothered. _Where the hell am I?_ I ain't gonna ask again before I start breakin' faces," the dragon threatened, emptily. He didn't even know if he could stand let alone attack anyone. But hell if he would let them know that.

"You're still in Hargeon," Igneel replied, glancing Dr. Strauss. "You've been recovering since the explosion." The chief was met with a blank, albeit annoyed stare from the bedridden male. None of that seemed to hit home.

"I'm glad to see you awake, you had us worried. It looks like you're recovering well," Mira Jane cut in, trying to pacify him in some way to edge off the tension.

"Where," he started, licking his dry lips and closing his eyes a moment to stay a wave of nausea, "What explosion?" he asked, finally after fighting off the urge to hurl more insults. And half his stomach.

Igneel raised his brows, looking to the doctor quickly. "It's, this is normal. He just woke up, it may take some time for the details to come back," she replied to the chief's unspoken question. She sounded like this was not something she was totally surprised by, but certainly not pleased with. "Gajeel, just take a minute. I would like to talk to you, but only if you feel up to it. This is a lot at once," her voice was calm, gentle. Like she knew exactly how to speak to someone like this.

The dragon sat in silence for several moments, a strange look of bewilderment on his face when she started to align all the details. He swallowed hard again and rolled his head on his shoulders. "Don't know why the hell I should, since ya hate answerin' my questions," he paused to wet his lips again, "but I got one more before I talk to any of ya." He regarded all of them with blazing eyes, settling finally on the woman. "Who the fuck is Gajeel?"


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** HEY YALL, LONG TIME. This chapter has actually been finished for a while, but over the last 2.5 months I: moved literally from one corner of the US to the other, started a new job, and am getting down to the wire planning a wedding. So...HERE IT IS. Completely different from the original version, and I hope you all like the changes as much as I do. I feel this gives us a lot of closure, and expands on a lot of things that fell flat in the original. I do still...INTEND to do an actual epilogue as the final chapter (20), and have managed a page of that over the last several months. Hopefully this will be satisfying enough to make what will surely be a wait, somewhat worth it. Enjoy!

* * *

Igneel wasn't able to compose himself enough to say something for nearly a minute. Instead, he slowly slid his gaze to the now dark-faced woman who was supposed to help them with this. The others had been damaged, uncooperative, but all of them at least knew who they were.

Mira may have been weighing her words, or she was quiet for the same reason Igneel was: this was a huge curveball, and now they had to readjust _everything_.

The silence, of course, did not sit well with Gajeel, who glared at them both, slack-jawed. "What the shit have I woken up into. Am I even here? Why the _fuck_ won't you talk to me!" he snarled, choking on his breath soon after. A nurse tried to approach him with an oxygen mask, but he threw her such a wild glare that she recoiled. The lack of answers alone were enough to piss him off, but he had also been made suddenly aware of how _empty_ his head was. He had no idea how he got here, what they were talking about, and worst of all, who he even was.

With a steadying breath, Igneel looked back to him. "The name Gajeel really means nothing to you? Does Jupiter? Or Jose?" he asked, trying to keep his tone level, calm. They'd waited weeks for him to recover, to get the most crucial pieces of this whole story, and he evidently could remember none of it.

With a grimace, the iron dragon looked down to the side. That was the confirmation they dreaded.

Immensely frustrated, Igneel turned towards the doors but Mira stopped him before he could leave. "It's not uncommon for patients who have been under this long to have some lasting effects of confusion. You can't forget the sedatives we've been using to keep them calm. He sustained a significant level of injury after the event and a great deal of mental trauma. He only just woke up, we need to give him time," she explained, her tone hushed as her eyes glanced to the much more subdued man in the hospital bed. "The medications _are_ fairly intensive, it's a lot of strain on the body to go through everything he has, and then come back out of it."

"We don't have much more time to give. Is it permanent?" Igneel asked, tight-lipped. This was not the kind of development they needed. The man had been through enough; it was time to get them home and close this. Close every tie they could to Jupiter to ensure it never reared its head again.

"It's hard to say; not typically, no. I've seen cases that last from a few hours to a few days, it's hard to say. Being optimistic… time will tell," Mira trailed off, looking to the case file tucked under the chief's arm. Her brows lifted slightly, thinking of something. "Do you have photos in there? For the whole case?"

Igneel lifted his brows and cocked his head back, looking down to the thick folder. "Not all, but key players, yes," he replied.

"Show them to him," she said quickly, her eyes lighting up a bit. "They could be immensely helpful in triggering something."

Igneel sighed heavily and nodded. "Anything to help speed up this process."

 _Fucking hell_. _These people barely tell me where I am and… god damnit I can't remember._ The dragon squinted, closing his eyes tight. He had nothing, only the name that cop kept calling him, the location of the hospital, and a raging headache. He remembered nothing beyond waking up with a tube rammed down his throat. Which was a less than enjoyable way to start the day as an evidently new person.

The pain had lessened, or he was just feeling less because of whatever they had stuck into his IV. He did start to feel better, but he also started to feel weaker. And with no knowledge of the situation he couldn't know why they were giving him anything at all. He tried to lift his arm to examine where the thin clear tube was attached, distracted from the other people in the room for just a moment.

His limb felt heavy as iron, and he could barely hold it up for a few seconds before he had exerted all his strength. _Damn, the hell did they give me?_ The frustration wrinkled his studded features. It was a feeling of powerlessness that he didn't much like.

"I'm right here," Gajeel croaked, finally drawing the attention of the two speaking about him. "Quit talkin' like I ain't in the room."

Biting back a retort, Igneel approached the hospital bed as he opened up the large file, flipped to the middle, and pulled out a sizeable stack of photos. He dropped the rest of the file on a chair by the bed, and flipped through the small stack, before grabbing one photo, an old mugshot, to hold out to him. "This is you," he said as Gajeel took it from him. "Does any part of it look familiar?"

He blinked cluelessly, reaching a hand up to his own face to trace the line of piercings that were there. He looked surprised to find them, just like in the photo, but still, he might as well have been looking at a picture of a stranger. A fierce one at that.

The lack of reaction had Igneel handing him another picture, this time of Jose. It was old, but the man's face would be unmistakable. At least, that's what he hoped for. This was the photo of someone who ruined his life, and Igneel banked on catharsis being enough to wake any kind of memory.

But, the same as before, Gajeel just looked at it blankly. Feeling frustration grow in the chief, Gajeel's own started to match it. He dropped the picture into his lap and hissed out a breath between his teeth. "Listen, I don't know who any of these people are, and I don't know what the hell ya want with me, but I do know I don't want to be here." He lifted red, malicious eyes to the chief, hoping to intimidate him the same way he had with the nurses. But the redhead just glared back down at him, unwavering. " _Tch,"_ he hissed through his teeth, "When can I leave." It was less of a question, more of a demand.

"When you're better," Igneel replied, evenly, picking up the rest of the file from the chair. This wasn't going anywhere soon.

"That's a bullshit answer," he spat back, earning a heavy glare from the exhausted, and thus volatile police chief.

"Look, jackass. I don't want to be here any more than you do. But I have a job to do, and I have promises to keep. So we are _going_ to get you well and we are _going_ to get you home one way or another. If you cooperate."

Gajeel shut up at that point, abashed by the scolding, just as Mira stepped up to defuse the situation that certainly wasn't helping anyone. She stopped, however, when surprise fluttered across Gajeel's face, and she placed a hand on the chief's upper arm.

His red eyes squinted, unsure where the pit in his stomach had suddenly come from, and why he felt the hair prickle along his arms. "Say that again," he said first, shaking his head to try and be clearer as both the doctor and the chief looked at him unsure. "You have what?"

Igneel lifted a brow, unsure if the boy was being smart again and provoking him. He glanced at Mira, then back to Gajeel. "A job."

"No," Gajeel answered, quickly. Too quick, it was half a bark and he tried to steady himself, because Igneel looked half ready to leave at point. "The other thing."

"I said I have promises to keep?" Igneel replied, and he might as well have slapped the man with the look on his face now. He looked to Mira, confused, but she shook her head.

"Let it come to him. Memory triggers come in every form you can imagine," she whispered, smiling gently to Gajeel. "Does that phrase mean something to you, Gajeel?" she asked carefully. He only leveled a distressed look at her, mingled with defensive anger, like a cornered animal unsure if they were there to help or hurt him.

He looked like he might start to say one thing, the words just barely starting to form on his tongue, but he suddenly shook his head and gripped his scalp. Spooked out of the thought. "I don't fuckin' know, I don't know I…" his gaze flew upwards suddenly, glaring nothing short of a warning to them both as the corner of his mouth curled into a tooth-baring grimace, "get out. If ya ain't gonna let me leave then get the hell out so I can 'heal' in peace. I don't know anything okay!?" he snarled, terrified by the clenching in his chest. Something about that phrase was like plucking a chord in his heart. The kind of chord that resonates so powerfully you feel it in your teeth.

Sighing in defeat, Mira backed up a step and nodded. She knew well enough when to accept a loss. "We can't push it, this is enough for now," she said as an aside to Igneel, and she finally turned to leave. "We will revisit in the morning."

Exasperated, Igneel loosed a breath and hunched his shoulders. "Fine. I have some phone calls to make and paperwork to fill out now that you're awake. Get some rest, or look through these. Whichever you can be bothered with." Igneel took the rest of the stack of photos and dropped them into Gajeel's lap before turning to leave. He ran a tired hand through his hair and sighed to himself on the way out of the room, "Heaven knows I have miles to go through this before I get any sleep."

Finally alone, Gajeel's mouth hung open in his wake. _Miles to go._ The words rang through him, loud but echoed, like someone shouting it into a cave. _Promises to keep._ Again, louder, and he grit his teeth. "Where have I heard this?" he growled to himself. All of this information thrown at him at once had his stomach twisting, and those words in particular sent his heart into overtime. The blood pounded in his ears and there was a sudden shift from just feeling like he needed to leave, to feeling he needed to _be somewhere._

Eventually, he looked down to the stack in his lap, the photos askew from being tossed there. The photo of himself was on top, staring angrily back at him. Gajeel's lip curled, and he was ready to toss them aside when something near the back of the stack caught his attention, peaking out just slightly between the others. All the other photos looked more or less the same to him, but this one…

A sliver of vibrant blue was tucked in with the others, suddenly screaming at him to pick it up. His hand moved independent of everything else, pulling out that particular picture and holding it up in the light to see it better. Not a single thing in him told him why he chose that picture, why that one called to him, but at the same time _everything_ in him said _that one. Pick up that one._

Staring at it, his lungs deflated and his heart slammed against his ribs, aggravating the monitor at his bedside. This photo wasn't like the others, it wasn't a mugshot or something clipped out from a newspaper. It was a personal photo, like someone had taken it from a frame and added it to the file. Someone had taken this in a place that looked far more comfortable than where he was.

She sat there, on the edge of a puffy couch, beaming up at the camera, with a blonde girl he didn't know draping herself over the back of the sofa to get into the picture with her.

That hair. The brilliantly blue hair with a ribbon of yellow tied into it, the bright smile spread in captured laughter that added rosyness to her cheeks. The room itself, with an ottoman just out of focus in the foreground and a naturally lit kitchen in the back, suddenly felt familiar. Why would a place like this look familiar to _him?_ And most of all, what chance was there that he knew someone like _that_? Gajeel saw his mugshot, even with no memories he knew he didn't look friendly. The way his foul mouth and inclinations of violence came so naturally to him, there was no possible way he had any connection to a happy scene like this. It felt like a sin to even feel familiar with it.

Trying to calm his fluttering heart, Gajeel shut his eyes tight, pushing his free hand over his eyes to try and wipe away the image. He wanted so badly to rid himself of the conflict, and found himself craving the emptiness of before. In the vast dark of his mind, another image instead flickered to life. The details flashed so quickly he could have missed them, but the echo left behind by them was enough for him to latch onto.

 _Small, soft hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look down at her. Look down into those warm, brown eyes that begged him to calm down. Eyes that looked to him with pleading gentleness, not fear, apprehension, or distaste. "Trust me,"_ _she said._

 _Trust me._

" _Levy_ ," the name slipped past his lips in a haggard gasp before he even realized it was there. The beeping on the monitor next to him skipped a whole beat. His chest heaved, and his mind became a whirl of unfocused color, echoed voices, and flashes of images that came and went so quickly he couldn't keep them. The room spun and again, he felt like he might heave on the floor. A groan built up into him as he curled forward into a ball and scattered the rest of the stack, clutching the one picture like a lifeline.

* * *

Sleep wouldn't come. In fact, it had evaded her for hours now. She laid there, staring at the ceiling for longer than she really knew. Slowly, Levy turned her head to look at the digital clock at her bedside. 4:37am.

With a groan, she rolled over, burying her face in the pillow. The black cat at the foot of the bed adjusted with her to keep comfortable.

She had been sleeping better. Overall she _did_ sleep better, despite everything. But tonight was entirely different, because of what she had done the day before. In many ways it set her back in her progress, but it also cleared a massive obstacle from her own recovery.

Natsu came to her early the previous morning with a request, one that had him shifting on his feet and wringing his hands out uneasily. In fact, she had to tell him herself to come out with it.

"They… Lisanna wants you to come to the home. For Rogue," he said. Levy's eyes widened in response, and he quickly added, "If you're up to it! She thinks it would be good for both of you to speak to each other. Outside of, that place. She said it would be a good way to move forward, but only if you agree. Rogue already has."

It was the most absurd request she could have been given. Sure, she wanted to know once if he was alright, if he had gotten out of everything, but to be put in the same room with him again was unthinkable. Impossible. Entirely different; that man had stolen her from this very house with Jose, he was the reason she had trouble lifting her arm higher than shoulder level.

Levy squared up to say no, absolutely not, but instead what came out was: "I'll do it."

She hadn't a single clue why she agreed, and as she sat in that living room across from him, even with Lisanna present as a mediator, she berated herself for ever saying yes. _This was a bad idea, it was a terrible idea and I need to just leave. To back out_ , she thought. Levy had her hands clasped so tightly over her lap that her knuckles were white and her fingers started to tingle. She wanted to stare at the floor, like he was, but she couldn't tear her intense stare away from him. As if, were she to look away, he would come for her.

He looked equally uncomfortable to be here, and he had been told from the start that his brother was in the next room if he needed him. A support system on the other side of the wall. Rogue refused to have him in the room, saying he wanted to do it without him, but now, he looked like he regretted it.

"Rogue, would you like to start?" Lisanna finally prompted from her seat, notepad poised over her lap. Someone needed to break the silence, because neither one of them was going to.

He shifted uncomfortably and Levy could see his throat bob with a heavy swallow. Finally, after several silent seconds, he met her gaze. She had to note that he looked healthier; his face had filled out, the darkness was gone from around his eyes, and he looked more boyish than he ever had before. If only slightly, that did put a small part of her at ease. She was looking at a person, rather than a figment of her nightmares. "I'm sorry, Ms. McGarden," he said, voice shaking.

"Levy," she replied quickly, and he straightened a little. "Please, just, my first name." They called her that at the lab. Jose called her that. The officers interviewing her called her that. "If we are going to try and do this, let's just talk to each other, like people," she said. "You get to be that now." She felt like it was the right thing to say, even if her heart still raced sitting across from him.

Rogue blinked at her a moment, then nodded. "Then," he began again, "I am sorry, Levy. For the pain I've caused you." His eyes glanced at her now unbandaged shoulder and he swallowed again, remembering just as vividly as she did what happened that day. What it felt like for him to pierce her like that. "I am sorry for all of it."

"I accept your apology," she replied, sticking with her earlier commitment to find forgiveness. What else was she supposed to say? That it was 'okay?' Because it most certainly wasn't. No part of what they went through was okay, and despite all that she felt she could never begin to fathom what he and the other subjects were trying to wade through. If apologizing to her was part of his recovery, then she would do what she needed to. But it didn't do anything to get rid of the acrid taste in her mouth, or the sweat in her palms. Which left her wondering, how was she going to make any part of this about her? How would this help her like it was supposed to help him?

"Is there anything you wish to say to him, Levy?" Lisanna asked, snapping her out of her thoughts and from the heavy, then turned intense stare she had through Rogue that kept his gaze to the floor. "This meeting is for both of you to try and move past what you experienced. To say whatever is unsaid," Lisanna prompted. Levy glanced to her and saw the whole first page of her notepad was already full, and she wondered how she wrote so quickly. "It's for your recovery too, so if you can both achieve closure here, with the… 'relationship' you had to one another in this, I think it will help immensely."

Levy started in her seat, staring wide-eyed at the doctor like she had grown a second head. "Relationship?" she asked almost breathlessly, trying to tame the bitter grimace. Rogue remained silent.

"I'm sorry, that was a poor choice of words. I only meant-"

"I know what you meant. And the way you keep looking at my shoulder I know you know what happened that day," Levy said a little more sharply than she planned, "Our 'relationship' is that he-" Lisanna lifted a hand to cut her off, and she did, but still Levy refused to let her talk, shaking her head harshly. The 'unsaid words' she had mentioned were not going to help, because what was unsaid was that her 'relationship' to him in all this amounted to a shoulder that still didn't move like it should and a bubbling fear in her gut she couldn't rationally get rid of. "Don't use a word so… mundane, so harmless, to describe what we experienced." For some reason, the use of 'we' and the anger at the doctor's vernacular kindled the tiniest sense of kinship to the man across from her. "I'm not going to tell you how to do your job but," she threw a quick glance to Rogue, who found the armrest of his chair to suddenly be the most interesting thing in the room, "there's a lot I want to say; that I could say, but that isn't going to help. There's no 'link' between us, just a shared traumatic experience that I want us both to be able to move on from."

Looking back to Rogue fully, she shifted a little. Levy rolled her shoulders, like trying to roll off the tingling where the old injury was.

"I had terrible nightmares," she said to him now, watching the words hit him to the back of his seat, and she could swear she saw a shadow skitter around his ankles. Regardless, she pushed forward. "About you. About all of it, I still can't sleep some nights," she paused, picking her words carefully. "For a little while, when my shoulder was acting up, I was angry at you. For listening to him, for helping him that day, but," another pause, and she could see the color slowly drain from his face. Lisanna watched more intently than before, like she was ready to end this any moment. "I realized that none of it was your fault. I know it wasn't. I do know that. It was him, he did this to all of you, and to me. But so, so much more to you all.. So, I still have the nightmares, but most of them now are about him. Following me, showing up at my house, rip-" Levy swallowed the lump in her throat and shook away the unease to finish the statement, "ripping out my stitches right after I called out to Gajeel." The shifting of Dr. Strauss in her seat confirmed to Levy that she had details, but not all of them. Not these. "My nightmares are about him, not you. Because I am forgiving you, Rogue. I understand all of this, and I understand it was not your fault. And though you and I may not ever be friends, though I am still here, sweating, from just sitting near you: I forgive you."

He blinked, his mouth hanging open slightly. Rogue started to say something but stopped himself twice, deeming the words inadequate. Finally, "Thank you." Simple, but powerful. Judging by Levy's face, it wasn't quite what she had expected. "I didn't expect you to come, let alone forgive me for what happened, so thank you for that. But also, I don't know if it all would have ended if you… if you hadn't called out to him. If you hadn't been there, he might never have woken up; none of us would have. You started the chain reaction. So I hope," he swallowed heavily, somehow managing the tiniest, hopeful smile that sent a crack through Levy's heart, "I hope he wakes up again."

She sat, stunned, and in her periphery she could see Lisanna relax just slightly. It was the most she had heard him say in the short time she had 'known' him, and it was the most human he had sounded. The words were his own, unpracticed and with feeling. She could see the tension start to melt away from him, like it had been a weight on his shoulders since he returned to this place.

Levy found herself returning his smile with more ease than she expected, and nodded to him. _I hope so too._

The whole meeting had gone about as well as it could have, and yet, here she was now, staring at her ceiling at nearly five in the morning, unable to close her eyes for too long. When she closed her eyes, she felt that pain again, she saw Jose again, and she heard the screams and explosions again. She could taste the smoke, and had to keep wiping at her face to convince herself that there wasn't any soot there.

So she kept her eyes open, replaying the whole thing over in her head again. She had been terrified to sit there with him, wondering if he would snap back to the old him at any moment and come after her again, with no one to stop him. Certainly not Gajeel. But yet, she really did forgive him, that was the honest truth. Rationally she knew he was just as much a victim as any of them, and he would not hurt her again with no one to enforce his conditioning or threaten his life.

She would recover from this, and she would sleep better the next night, but for now she had to forfeit her peace of mind. Thoughts of a knock at her door, the room suddenly becoming smaller and filling with smoke would not be letting sleep come tonight. Too many fresh wounds picked back open again.

The clock read 5:15 when she hauled herself out of her parent's bed, and dutifully, Lily got up to follow her. The cat rarely left her side, and he must have sensed her turmoil tonight to get up out of the warm bed to follow her. She was thankful for her thick socks, because even through the fabric she could feel the cold bite of the hardwood. Still, she put on thick slippers for good measure.

Levy shuffled into the living room, just barely starting to catch the grey morning light, and sought out the coffee pot in the kitchen. If she wasn't going to sleep, she may as well soothe herself with something to make her a little more alive.

Her eyes caught sight of the newspaper on her counter, and she frowned. It had been sitting there for two days, read and reread before being placed back onto that same spot. It was opened and folded to one article, the headline tormenting her even though she couldn't bring herself to throw it away.

'Jupiter Technologies Closed Permanently in Wake of Fatal Explosion.'

She could probably recite the article from memory at this point. The surviving staff had been detained and their trials set for their involvement with the company. However, from the way the article was written, it seemed like the trial was only for the sake of following due justice, as the ethical and human rights violations of the company were so severe and monumental that a guilty ruling was the only possible outcome.

The names of the subjects didn't appear anywhere in the article, and there was only a small mention of their existence, that they were in transition programs and would be kept anonymous. They'd been excused of any possible wrongdoing, which Natsu had told her before the article ever printed. That was the last update he had gotten from his father on the case, who had suddenly told him almost a week ago that the investigation was far more sensitive now and he couldn't give any more details. And thus, Levy was left wholly in the dark regarding Gajeel's condition and if he had even awoken yet.

On the subject of Dr. Porla, he never emerged from the facility, but his charred ID badge was uncovered in the rubble, and he was officially listed among the deceased. Levy could only wonder if he had perished in the chaos… or if the subjects had found him first. She bit her lip, conflicted on whether she was comfortable with either outcome. In a way, she felt he should have had to suffer through the trial and prison time, but the subjects were still owed their own brand of justice for what they had been through. But as much as she hated the man for what he had done, it was still difficult for her to wish harm on a dead man. Still, all that aside, the knowledge that he was gone helped her sleep considerably better. It was largely why she kept the article in the first place. Printed closure.

An impatient yowl from her furred companion brought her back to the present and she looked down at the tomcat. "I'm up so that means it's breakfast time right?" He answered her with a gravelly purr and the upturning of his nose. She laughed a little at him and shook her head before shaking some kibble into his bowl.

She turned from him to set up the coffee pot and get it brewing before she went to stand in front of the double doors leading out to the back yard. Winter had not let up on the thick white blanket across her property, but she could tell that today would at least be a clear, sunny day for once. As time passed, golden rays started to poke through the trees, and she tried to focus on the beauty of that.

Levy tried to keep from thinking about the times he had come through this door, or the time he left that massive dent in her counter that she tried to never look at. She tapped her palms against her cheeks and turned back to the bubbling pot to pour herself a cup with cream and sugar.. Lily was crunching away happily in his bowl, but just as she was getting ready to pour her first cup, her cell phone started to chime from her bedroom.

She pinched her brows together as she walked quickly, surprised that _anyone_ would be calling her this early. Natsu's name lit up the screen, which really only confused her more. Tapping to answer, she addressed her friend, "Natsu? Are you o-"

"Levy!" he interrupted her, sounding almost out of breath. "You need to get to the station right now. It's Gajeel, I can't talk, I'm not even supposed to be calling you, but you need to get here."

Levy felt all of the color drain from her face, and before she could so much as stammer at her friend, the line clicked. In shock, she yanked her phone away to stare at the menu screen, trying like hell to even start and process what he had just said to her.

Was that good? Bad? He gave her nothing except a vague command and then hung up on her. Before the thought of calling him back even crossed her mind, she was in the closet, grabbing anything remotely functional to change into. Haphazardly, she threw on the layers and with her stomach in her throat, she raced out the front door.

She praised herself for having the foresight to put on her boots with the most traction, because otherwise she was bound to crack her skull at the speed she was moving. The station was only a couple blocks from her house, thankfully, because any farther and she may have collapsed on the way from her pounding heart.

In fact she felt like she might as she burst through the doors of the station. "Where," she croaked, and the officer she saw first stood abruptly. By the look on his face, it seemed like he had an inkling she might show. And that he had been instructed to stop her.

"Where is he," she persisted, heading straight for the doors that would take her to the back. Before she could touch the knob, the other officer was already through it, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You can't be here, Miss McGarden."

"Where is Natsu? I know Natsu, I know his father; _where are they."_ She would not let up. If Natsu knew he was here, then Natsu knew where to take her.

The officer stared down at her with exasperated defeat, but still pushed back on her shoulders. Levy shrugged out of his touch and took a sharp step back, glaring up at him. Waiting for an answer or explanation.

"I'll get Natsu, but you have to wait out here," he said finally, waiting until she sat in one of the chairs to head into the back.

The moments after were so crushingly quiet that she felt she couldn't breathe. The world around her was barely awake and yet here she was more wildly alert than she had been in weeks.

Was he dead? Had he not awoken yet? Was he not going to come back? The possibilities and questions swirled in her head enough to make her feel sick. Enough to put her back on her feet and say _to hell_ with whomever tried to stop her.

Levy nearly knocked Natsu over with how hard she slammed into him bursting through the door. Instantly his hands were on her shoulders to steady her. "Levy!" he exclaimed. "Slow down, I have to tell you something before you go in there."

Her eyes flew up to him, instant worry on her face. The tone of his voice turned her stomach. "Is he dead?" was the first thing to come tumbling out of her mouth. Barely a pause between the words and a noticeable crack in her voice.

"Levy, geez, no. He's alive," he could see the relief manifest all over her face, "That's what my dad was talking about, when he said he couldn't give us more updates, " the impatience in her face had him leaning back slightly from her. "He lost his memory, Lev. When he woke up he didn't know who he was. Mira knows he's gotten some of it back, but he's completely clammed up. He said he wouldn't talk to anyone until he got back to Magnolia. They have no idea how much he remembers and this was their only way to find out."

"How long," she demanded, her voice shaking.

"Late last night, they had him in the second interview room. Lisanna was on her way when I called you to take him to the apartments," he replied, just as she started to push past him. "Wait, don't get all fired up. Just be ready, alright? He might… he might not know who you are, Levy, and technically you're not supposed to be here."

Those words warred against the relief that he was _awake. Alive. Here._ Levy couldn't decide if the memory loss was enough for her to worry over. Just having him back here, safe, might be enough for her. She steadied herself, gave him a grateful look, then brushed past him without another word. She had only been here a few times before with Natsu and Lucy, but it was enough to know where she was going in the small building.

But when she arrived to the room she was looking for, it was empty. Her heart sunk. She couldn't have missed him, not when she was so close. Urgently, she whipped on her heels to head back out the way she came, only to come face to face with Igneel. The intimidating man stared down at her for a second, before loosing a sigh and throwing a sharp glance over his shoulder to his son. She could have sworn she heard a mumbled 'of course.' Levy fully expected him to stop her, to tell her it was too sensitive to be here, but instead: "They just left out the back. If you're quick-"

That was all she needed. Levy was already sprinting for the back exit before he could finish. Her palms stung with the impact as she slammed the door open, squinting into the now-blinding morning light. But even with all the white, the black mane of hair was the first thing her eyes went to. Lisanna and Mira were to his right, and he had an escort of two other officers with them.

"Gajeel!" Her voice cut through the frigid, quiet air, and all of them came to a sudden halt. A sense of deja vu washed over her, and she prayed it would end better this time. The Strauss sisters were the first to look back at her, then to the other officers with a silent 'hold back.' Knowingly, they looked at each other, then to Gajeel.

Levy's eyes were fixed on the _very_ still Gajeel, no one else existed. He had gone stick straight, she could tell even through the massive coat they put him in. But he wouldn't turn around. Natsu's warning repeated in her head, but still her heart hammered against her ribs in anticipation. _Turn around, god please, look at me. Know me._

It felt like an eternity before he moved, turning his head just enough to glance sidelong at her with those ruby red eyes. Looking at that face again, unreadable though it was, nearly knocked the air of out her. Her knees wobbled beneath her, and her eyes started to burn. She clasped a hand over her mouth, overwhelmed with the relief of seeing him there. Alive, okay.

Gajeel took a quick step back in her direction, turning more to face her straight on, his eyes wide and expression something between surprise and intense interest. Like seeing a ghost, as the saying goes.

Levy took a step forward, mouth open with words she was trying to say, but couldn't muster. The lump in her throat swallowed them all, and she produced only haggard breaths. Did he recognize her? Or was he looking at a stranger? The latter possibility, with him in front of her, now hurt a lot more than she had expected it to. Still, the tears started to overflow, hot down her cheeks.

Then, his shoulders slumped in relief and tiniest of curls formed at the corner of his mouth, before…

"Shrimp."

A single word, but a word with so much power over her that everything instantly became clear.

An unrestrained cry escaped her, and before she knew what she was doing, she was racing for him the best she could through the snow. Gajeel took several long, quick strides to meet her that turned into a sudden sprint when she stumbled. In a flurry of white powder, he dropped to his knee and slid to catch her, colliding with a loud _thump._

Gajeel wrapped himself around her, hunching forward, as she sunk as far into him as was possible. Her face disappeared into his chest, tiny hands gripping the front of his shirt, and she nearly disappeared entirely under his large arms and the wrap of his jacket. He took one deep inhale of her hair and a pervasive peace melted every tension her had been carrying in his muscles.

"You remember," Levy whimpered into his chest, and a chuckle rumbled through him. A sound that created a flutter in her chest; a sound she didn't realize she missed this much until now.

Gajeel remembered her, and the poem she read him that night, the moment he looked at her photo. He didn't know where he was, he didn't know the people he was with, but as the last memory he had of her came back to him, he realized getting back to her… or at least finding out if she made it out okay, was the utmost priority. He managed to get the chief to disclose that she was alive, but nothing else. He knew they wouldn't take him back until he was recovered, but he needed to be absolutely certain they would take him back to Magnolia. He couldn't stay there in Hargeon. That meant not talking, or telling them what he remembered, until they took him back. A powerplay, the best way he could manage.

"I remembered _you_ Lev; everything else just came with it," he answered, softly. There was something restrained in his voice, joy perhaps, but she couldn't pin it. "It's always been you."

Slowly, as though she was afraid she might wake from the dream, she eased back from him and rested a cold hand on his cheek. The affection in his eyes for her was enough to shatter her, and another sob threatened to break past her lips. "You're home," she said, unable to hold back the laughter bubbling from her chest.

Gajeel smiled, not smirked, down at her. Home, indeed. There was no other way to describe her. Over and over again she seemed to pull him from the dark, even when he had nothing left, no idea who he was, she was still the one to pull him back. "You're mine," he replied, earning him an unreservedly delighted smile. A smile that made him weak and sent his heart running double time. Looking at that beautiful face, he realized it was now or never, and he had taken long enough with saying this as it was. "I love you too, Shrimp," he said, cupping her cheek with his large hand. Levy leaned into the touch, welcoming it, and placed her palm over his.

That was it, he couldn't hold back from her any longer. With a light tug, he pulled her back to him with no resistance, and brought his lips hungrily to hers. She was pliant in his grip, melding herself to him as his other arm shifted to curl around the small of her back. This was so different from their kiss in the lab, he couldn't help but dwell on the details. Levy smelled again like lavender, and she tasted like something familiar he couldn't name. Something he'd drank in a past life. He could feel her smile on his mouth, and her fervent effort to remain close, to make up for all the lost time, created a powerful surge of emotion in his chest.

It was over. All of it. Jose was dead, he vividly remembered what happened in those final moments the day after he first remembered her. She was here, safe in his arms again with no devil on the horizon threatening to upend that. And… and he was back in Magnolia, in the open and being offered a new start. Regardless of whatever trials lay ahead to settle into a real life, the worst was done and he had her by his side for the future. In his lifetime Gajeel might never be able to understand what he had done to deserve her or the life that now opened up ahead of him, but he could certainly learn to stop questioning it. Every one of those details became so powerfully real the second he kissed her, enough to almost completely overwhelm him. After a moment, he thought, why not let it?

A laugh tumbled out of him into the kiss, and she pulled back to create enough space between them to ask what was funny, but he was already scooping her up to get back onto his feet. He swallowed her surprised yelp with another kiss, spinning on the balls of his feet and scattering more fresh snow around them. Her surprise turned to muffled laughter against him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight to her dragon. Tight enough that both of them knew she did not intend to ever let him go again.

Mira looked to her sister, a small smile on her face. "I think it's safe to say we will have no problems getting him to speak with us now. Or settling him in for that matter."

Lisanna answered with a small laugh, shaking her head, "No. No I don't think we will," she replied with a tone of relieved finality.


End file.
